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SINAI AND GOLGOTHA; 



A JOURNEY IN THE EAST. 



BY 

FREDERICK ADOLPH STRAUSS, 

LICENTIATE OF THEOLOGY AT THE UNIVERSITY OF BERLIN, AND 
ASSISTANT PREACHER AT THE CATHEDRAL CHURCH. 




WITH AN INTRODUCTION 



BY 

HENRY STEBBING, D.D., F.R.S. 

AUTHOR OF THE " HISTORY OF THE CHURCH AND REFORMATION," ETC. 



LONDON: 

JAMES BLACKWOOD, PATERNOSTER ROW; 
WHITTAKER & Co.; HAMILTON, ADAMS & Co.; 
and JAMES NISBET & Co. 
GLASGOW: WILLIAM COLLINS. 



MDCCCXLIX. 

C 



y 

LONDON : 
R. A. KIRKALDY, 
CUILUM STREET, FENCHURCH STREET. 



PREFACE. 



My journey in the East has served as an 
additional corroboration to my mind of the 
truth of the Divine "Word. Could I visit the 
spots which, from the theatre of the Sacred 
History, corresponded in the minutest par- 
ticulars to the statements of Scripture : could 
I observe the manners of the people, which 
have there undergone but little alteration during 
the course of centuries : could I witness in the 
condition of those countries, and in the history 
of those nations, the wonderful fulfilment of 
prophetic declaration, I should, I believed, 
apprehend more forcibly than ever the truth of 
the Word of God. 

Thoughts such as these connected with the 
East, suggest the inquiry, What is the present 
state of religion there ; what are the operations 
of our brethren in the faith ; and what is now 
proclaimed of that Word of God once revealed 
in that land, but now fading in obscurity ? 

The information on both these points, ac- 
quired by this journey, will be presented in 
the following pages. May the Lord bless them 



IV 



PREFACE. 



to the strengthening of faith, and the promotion 
of active love. 

Scientific discussion will be avoided ; valuable 
additions would otherwise have been afforded to 
the investigation respecting Sinai and Golgotha. 

With regard to Golgotha I must be allowed 
to refer to the " Topography of J erusalem," — 
a work which has recently appeared from the 
pen of my fellow traveller, W. Krafft, the 
Licentiate of Theology at Bonn, whose early 
studies peculiarly fitted him for such inquiries. 
I am unable to express how much the present 
work owes to my connection with him. 

The annexed print, kindly presented by 
Messrs. E. and M. Weidenbach, represents one 
of the principal points of the journey to Sinai 
and Golgotha. 

The emotions I experienced in these most 
consecrated spots are connected in the depths 
of my heart, and are the most precious results 
of the journey. Such feelings cannot be com- 
municated, but every one. will enter into them 
— for Sinai and Golgotha are the mountains 
from whence our help hath come. 

F. A. STRAUSS. 



Berlin. 



INTRODUCTION. 



Familiarity with the scenes of great events, 
and with the homes of extraordinary men, is 
one of the most interesting acquirements of a 
cultivated mind. It is only to a very limited 
extent that the student can obtain this species 
of knowledge by personal observation. The 
most experienced traveller will own that he 
has seen but little, when the vast volume of 
history and biography is spread before him, 
and he is asked, how many of its pages he 
could illustrate from his own recollections ? 
Happily for us, the labour of describing the 
peopled world, with all its vast variety of 
historic scenes, has been undertaken by a 
proportionable number of enlightened and 
adventurous men. They have contemplated 
with equal care and affection the monuments 
of the past, and have looked at nature with 
a disposition to find in the different expressions 
of her outward form some great truth with 



vi INTRODUCTION. 

which the people of all lands should be 
familiar. 

The civilized world, and thoughtful, in- 
quiring minds especially, are indebted to 
travellers to a far greater degree than is 
commonly imagined. This is generally true ; 
but it is especially so in regard to what is 
known of the Holy Land ; of that land upon 
which divine providence has displayed its 
grandeur through all the phases of righteousness 
and mercy. 

In no country, not excepting even Greece 
and Rome, have so many, and such variously 
gifted minds been employed in earnest obser- 
vation, as in Pales-tine. No sooner had Chris- 
tianity been planted in the distant provinces 
of the Roman empire, than they began to 
send forth a succession of pilgrims to the 
Holy Land. If we may judge of the character 
of these early travellers from what we know 
of such men as Jerome, and his associates, 
they were not likely to be so completely de- 
ceived in regard to sacred localities, and the 
traditions connected with them, as some modern 
writers would have us suppose. Age after age, 
the connection was kept up between the re- 
motest corners of the civilized world, and the 



INTRODUCTION. 



birth-place of the Christian church. There 
were scholars in sufficient numbers among 
those who thus, with patient steps, made a 
highway from England, France, and Germany 
to Jerusalem. The greater part of the pil- 
grims consisted, indeed, of men who had 
neither erudition, nor literary curiosity, to 
furnish them with motives for undertaking 
such a journey. But they were generally keen 
and anxious observers. Even the superstition, 
or fanaticism, which in many cases urged them 
forward, was not wholly adverse to that passion 
for information which is the common charac- 
teristic of travellers. 

Readers, who have leisure for such studies, 
may find in the records which exist of the 
early pilgrimages to Palestine information of 
the most interesting character. The solemn 
traits of sacred scenes and sacred times will 
grow before them, as wondrous portraits may 
sometimes be found, startling and distinct, 
amid the rudest sketches of an artist. Ac- 
counts of Palestine were written in a very dif- 
ferent style when, after the revival of learning, 
all branches of literature were subjected to 
a sedate and rigorous criticism. Men then 
travelled to, and wrote of, Palestine, as they 



Vlll 



INTRODUCTION. 



would visit and write of any other country. 
The fervid enthusiasm of the elder pilgrims 
was exchanged for a spirit of calm inquiry ; 
and books became filled with discussions in- 
stead of pathetic traditions, and simple, racy, 
though sometimes grotesque, delineations of 
scenes and characters. 

But while this extensive field is opened for 
those who would make themselves thoroughly 
acquainted with what travellers have done for 
Palestine, it is pleasant to know that, in our 
own times, the old pilgrim spirit, with all 
its love and devotion, has gone forth to the 
Holy Land, not rejecting for its companion 
the sound and healthful knowledge of an ad- 
vanced age. This is pre-eminently true of 
Dr. Strauss. He was well fitted by temper 
and acquirements to contemplate profitably the 
scenes of Holy Writ, and to make them familiar 
to others. His habits of patient study, his 
character as a scholar and divine, secured him 
against any temptation to a fanatical sympathy 
with the erring piety of the middle ages. 
But neither his learning, nor his protestantism, 
had deprived him of that peculiar and earnest 
ardour without which old and sacred paths 
will be almost trodden in vain. Dr. Strauss 



INTRODUCTION. 



was too wise to think of preparing his mind 
for a visit to the Holy Land by first filling 
it with neology and scepticism. He went 
forth bearing the records of Scripture in his 
heart, and anxious to give a deeper life to 
his faith, by meditating and praying amid 
the scenes where, for a time, it was connected 
with things visible. 

The careful reader of this little volume 
will be edified by the striking and happy 
views which it gives of Palestine itself. But 
he will derive even a greater advantage from 
joining with its Author in that spirit of serious 
thought, with which he speaks of the present 
as well as of the past. The inestimable value 
of free Scriptural teaching ; the blessings at- 
tending the services of a church in which the 
Bible forms the only authorized basis of the 
creed ; in which the Sacraments are ad- 
ministered with a reverential awe and love, 
but without human additions, — all these things 
are exhibited by Dr. Strauss in their proper 
light; and while he shews us how he medi- 
tated on Sinai and Golgotha with the genuine 
fervour of a devout pilgrim, he proves to us 
also that he never forgot his simple evangelical 
principles; that he, at no time, questioned 



INTRODUCTION. 



the great fact, that Christianity to save the 
world, or permanently to elevate the cha- 
racter of individuals, must act with its direct 
force upon the human heart, as little hindered 
as possible, by aught that is human, accidental, 
or temporal. 

H. S. 

London, August, 1849. 



CONTENTS. 



PAGE. 

PART I. — GREECE. 

Chapter I. Journey to Athens . . 1 

II. Athens • . . . .7 

III. The Greek Church . . 14 

IV. Corinth . . . .23 

V. Syra .... 30 

PART II.— EGYPT. 

Chapter I. Alexandria . . .34 

II. Cairo . . . 39 

III. Mohammedanism . . .47 

IV. The Coptic Church . . 55 

V. The Voyage up the Nile . . 60 

VI. Thebes ... 65 

VII. Nubia . . . .75 

VIII. From Assuan to Cairo . . 84 

IX. Egypt and the Holy Scriptures . 93 

PART III.— SINAI. 

Chapter I. Suez .... 102 

II. From Suez to Sinai . .110 

III. Sinai . . . 119 

IV. The Bedouins . . .131 
V. From Sinai to Beersheba . . 137 



Xll 



CONTENTS. 



PAGE. 



PART IV.— JERUSALEM. 

Chapter I. The Ascent to Jerusalem . 144 

II. The Easter Festival . .152 
III. The History of Jerusalem . 165 

IV. Jerusalem as it is . . . 182 

V. The Environs of Jerusalem . 195 

VI. The Jews . . .206 

VII. The Christians . . 215 

VIII. The Protestant Bishopric . 222 

IX. The German Protestants . 232 

X. Life in Jerusalem . . . 245 

PART V.— THE PROMISED LAND. 

Chapter I. Bethlehem . . . 253 

II. Hebron . . . .262 

III. Jordan and the Dead Sea . 271 

IV. Bethel . , . .290 
V. Jaffa ... 300 

VI. Nazareth . . . .314 

VII. Tiberias ... 325 

VIII. Lebanon. . . .335 

IX. Damascus . . . 346 

X. Beyrout. ; » .352 

PART VI.— THE RETURN HOME. 

Chapter I. Smyrna . . . 362 

II. Constantinople # . .370 

III. The Missions at Constantinople . 378 

IV. Arrival in the West . . 384 



SINAI AND GOLGOTHA. 



PART I. 



CHAPTER I. 

JOURNEY TO ATHENS. 

In the autumn of 1844, I administered the 
Ordinance of Confirmation, and partook of the 
Holy Sacrament with the candidates. It was 
the conclusion of two years' connection with 
the cathedral congregation, in the ministerial 
oversight of which I had found much delight ; 
and at the same time, the consecration for my 
pilgrimage to Jerusalem, to which place I was 
permitted to extend my journey. The wish 
that had been silently cherished from the days 
of my childhood, and had constantly increased 
in ardour through diligent study of the Word 
of God, was now about to be accomplished. 

In taking leave of the congregation, I felt 
convinced, that the prayers of many would 
accompany me, who in a distant land would 
bear Jerusalem upon their hearts. 

B 



2 



JOURNEY TO ATHENS. 



After a short visit in my native valley of the 
Wupper, I joined my cousin, Wilhelm Krafft, 
in Cologne. Our studies in theology, and our 
interest in the Holy Land, had long since pro- 
duced an intimate friendship between us, so 
that I could not but regard his association with 
me in my travels as a special blessing. The wish 
that our pilgrimage might resemble that of 
the disciples of Emmaus was indeed realized 
beyond our prayers and expectations. 

Having travelled rapidly up the Rhine,- we 
spent a few days among a circle of friends at 
Stuttgard, and then proceeded to Basle — that 
place of blessing, from whence bands of Evan- 
gelists have gone forth to all the ends of the 
earth. We passed the Alps, separating us from 
the land of our fathers, and crossed the Lake 
of Como, upon the enchanting shores of which 
the cypress and the lofty cedar wave, wafting to 
us the southern breezes of Italy. We soon 
stood in the sublime porches of the cathedral 
at Milan, and arrived at Venice, where the 
pilgrims formerly took ship for the Holy Land. 

As the abundance of its oriental treasures 
rendered it once the resort of numerous tra- 
vellers, so now, its past history, and its immense 
size, make it a fit place of introduction for 
the pilgrim to the East. The harbour is now 
robbed of its ships ; the palaces are fallen to 
decay. We next crossed over to Trieste, which 
has risen by rapid steps to be one of the first 
emporiums of the Mediterranean. 

On the afternoon of the 24th of October, 
we embarked on board the Mahmondie, a fine 
Austrian vessel. One of my oldest friends, and 



JOURNEY TO ATHENS. 



3 



latterly my colleague in the cathedral church, 
gave us a farewell greeting as we left our native 
shores. The anchor was weighed, the vessel 
steered towards the Holy Land, and emotions 
of hope and apprehension filled our hearts. 
The sky was overcast, and soon after the rain 
descended in torrents, as if to increase the 
pain of separation. The travellers consisted 
principally of Italian merchants established in 
the Levant, and of a captain in the Austrian 
Marine, whose religious character, and intimate 
acquaintance with the Mediterranean, rendered 
him an agreeable companion. The wind con- 
tinued unfavourable throughout the following 
day ; and only in the channel between the Dal- 
matiian coast and the adjacent islands could we 
repose from the storms of the Adriatic Sea. On 
the third day, Ragusa, which had recently expe- 
rienced the shock of an earthquake, appeared 
in the distance ; and the Acroceraunian moun- 
tains shortly after rose to view. But the sky 
had long been darkened by threatening clouds ; 
towards sunset, they assumed a more serious 
aspect ; lightning was perceived in the south 
and west, and a violent storm awaited us. 
When the rolling of the thunder ceased, an 
awful, anxious stillness rested on the sea ; and 
the moon rising in all her brightness, we wit- 
nessed the rare phenomenon of a lunar rainbow ; 
then, as the messenger of peace gave promise, 
the clouds broke, and were reflected on the 
tranquil waters. 

The following day was Sunday, and we ran 
into the channel of Corfu. On our left, ap- 
peared the white Albanian Mountains, dry and 



4 



JOUKNEY TO ATHENS. 



barren ; to the right, the olive groves and green 
hills of the island, in whose friendly harbour 
we cast anchor. The Greeks surrounded our 
vessel with their little boats ; and their light 
attire, in loose white pantaloons, parti-coloured 
jackets, and red turbans, glittering in Sunday- 
gaiety, were interesting to us as being the first 
specimens of eastern costume. We immediately 
went on shore, and hastened through the ani- 
mated streets to the palace of the English 
Governor, where the service of the Anglican 
Church was being celebrated. On entering, 
those words in the Psalms caught our ear,* " He 
will not suffer thy foot to be moved ; he that 
keepeth thee will not slumber." " I was glad 
when they said unto me, Let us go into the 
house of the Lord. Our feet shall stand within 
thy gates, O Jerusalem. Jerusalem is builded 
as a city that is compact together : whither 
the tribes go up, the tribes of the Lord unto 
the testimony of Israel, to give thanks unto the 
name of the Lord." " If it had not been the 
Lord who was upon our side, then the waters had 
overwhelmed us, the stream had gone over our 
soul." " They that trust in the Lord shall be 
as Mount Zion, which cannot be removed, but 
abideth for ever." After the service, I learned in 
the house of Lowndes, the Agent of the London 
Missionary Society, how great an amount of in- 
fluence is exerted over the Greek Christians of 
the island by the numerous schools, the diffu- 
sion of the Scriptures, and the other operations 
of the Mission. We also made the acquaintance 
of Arnold, the Missionary of the North American 



* Psalm cxxi. 3 ; cxxii. 1 — 4; cxxiv. 2 — 4; cxxv. 1. 



JOURNEY TO ATHENS. 



5 



Baptists, a faithful young man, whose career 
of usefulness had just commenced. 

The lovely island was soon left behind ; 
and on the next morning we perceived, behind 
Cephalonia, the heights of Ithaca, the home 
of the far-travelled Ulysses ; the barren coast 
of Zante giving no intimation of being the 
most fruitful and beautiful of the islands ; and 
the mountains of Peloponnesus rising from the 
bosom of Arcadia. On the following day, we 
left the bay between Cape Malea and Cerigo, 
the ancient seat of the goddess Cythersea ; 
but so high a north wind suddenly arose, 
accompanied with showers of rain, that our 
judicious captain, after prolonged and fruitless 
struggles with the tumultuous waves, returned 
into the quiet bay near Cerigo, where we 
calmly waited until the storm had ceased. 
The next day was as beautiful as this had been 
tempestuous. The sun shed a southern bril- 
liancy upon the still waves of the Archipelago ; 
the islands rose enchantingly from them, as the 
ship passed by, in a multiform series of groups, 
their rosy heights determining the boundaries 
of the blue waters. Towards noon we ap- 
proached Syra, where the new white houses 
of the capital look down cheerfully from the 
bleak mountain. The town, and particularly 
the lower part, has arisen since it became the 
centre where the lines of Austrian and French 
steamboats meet from Trieste, Marseilles, Con- 
stantinople, Alexandria, and Athens. Here, 
after an agreeable voyage of eight days, we left 
the excellent Mahmoudie, and went on board 
the Colowrat. The deck was crowded with 



6 



JOURNEY TO ATHENS. 



Greeks, men, women, and children, and with 
ecclesiastics and soldiers, who, stretched upon 
their mats, were comfortably smoking their 
pipes. Evening closed in before our departure, 
and the town was illuminated by the lights 
which shone from the white houses up to the 
summit of the mountain. 

On the following day, the first rays of the sun 
fell on the pillars of the temple of the goddess 
Athenae, on the promontory of Sunium. Before 
us lay iEgina and Salamis ; and soon the columns 
of the renowned Acropolis of Athens appeared 
in the distance. The town itself lay concealed 
under the citadel ; the majestic temple stood 
alone on the mighty heights of Hymettus and 
Pentelicon ; all the traces of more recent in- 
habitants vanished from our sight, and it seemed 
as though a glimpse of the long-passed splendour 
of Greece were afforded us. In the spacious 
harbour of the Piraeus we were recalled to the 
present, and the anchor was cast in the midst 
of numerous ships of war and commerce. Con- 
veyances awaited us on the strand ; they con- 
ducted us over the ruins of the mighty walls 
by which Pericles once united the Piraeus with 
Athens. The olive grove of the Cephissus 
afforded a refreshing shade from the increasing 
heat of the day ; the pinnacles of the Acropolis 
approached nearer and nearer, till the new 
town, with its shining white houses, appeared 
at the foot of the citadel. In about an hour 
we arrived at Athens. 

Irregular rows of houses, from the smallest 
wooden hovel to the largest palace in European 
style ; the moving multitude in the streets, 



ATHENS. 



7 



some attired in the beautiful Greek costume, 
with gold-embroidered jackets, and red turbans, 
others following the European fashion ; sounds 
of Greek, German, and Latin proceeding from 
the restless throng ; and, last of all, the great 
Place before the stately palace of the King, 
which is formed of Pentelicon marble — all these 
heterogeneous objects, which strike the eye on 
entering the city, represent the situation of the 
Greek people, who, under the rule of a beloved 
king, are striving to free themselves from the 
yoke of their long servitude, and to produce a 
state of things which will revive the memory of 
Athens' ancient glory. And yet, many as were 
the emotions excited on entering the young king- 
ddm, those arising from the remembrance of past 
ages remained the most interesting and abiding. 



CHAPTER EL 

ATHENS. 

In a broad valley; enclosed by the Parnes 
Mountains on the north, the Pentelicon on the 
east, the Hymettus on the south, and the -ZEgsean 
Sea on the west, rises an elevated plain, bounded 
on two sides by the waters of the Cephissus 
and Ilissus, and on both the others by pleasant 
hills. On this plain stands the city of Athens. 
In the midst of the old town is the noble Acro- 
polis, the ornament of Athens. Under the 



8 



ATHENS. 



guidance of Schaubert and Ross, tlie two men 
who rescued this glorious monument of anti- 
quity from the rubbish of centuries, we reached 
a small watch-house near the ruins of the 
marble staircase which conducts to the gate of 
the citadel. We saw on our right the little 
ornamented temple of the goddess of victory, 
which, until recently had lain concealed by 
rubbish. The marble staircase formerly led to 
the Propylaea, in the pillared halls of which 
the feasts of the gods were celebrated. 

In the marble chambers on both sides of the 
hall the most beautiful specimens of Grecian 
sculpture were once collected, and some remains 
of those early treasures are still preserved 
there. From the light Propylsea, you enter 
through five doors into the Sanctuary. The 
solemnities were celebrated on the left side of 
the Parthenon ; on the right, the colossal bronze 
statue of Athenae once towered far above the 
temple, serving as a land-mark to the distant 
mariner. A few steps farther is the Erech- 
theion, a temple, enclosing in a remarkable 
range of buildings, the olive tree which Athenae 
called into existence, the well which Poseidon 
caused to spring from the dry rock, and the 
grave of Erechtheus, the father of the town, 
to whom the gifts of Athense and Poseidon 
owed their renown. Through innumerable sta- 
tues and offerings, the way leads to the Par- 
thenon, the residence of the maiden goddess 
Athense. The temple is entered through a 
double row of doric pillars, and is divided 
into two portions. In the first, stood the image 
of the goddess, and behind it, in a small dark 



ATHENS. 



9 



chamber, the treasures of the temple were pre- 
served. Another passage between two rows of 
doric pillars leads to this chamber, while a 
simple range on both the other sides supports 
the roof. In the larger eastern apartment was 
the seat of the goddess ; and here stood her 
colossal statue, a work of Phidias in gold and 
ivory, adorned with precious stones ; while 
before it was an altar for the reception of the 
offerings. 

But the Lord's judgment on the heathen 
gods has fallen upon the temple of Athens. It 
was consecrated as a christian church to the 
Virgin Mary ; and heathen representations were 
compelled to give place to christian ones, as 
the remains of Byzantine paintings still testify. 
Followers of Islam transformed the church into 
a mosque ; and at length, the marble walls 
served for a fortress, which was battered two 
hundred years ago by Venetian bombs ; and in 
the war of the last ten years has experienced 
from the Turks a devastation still more lament- 
able. There is, nevertheless, so much preserved 
of the marble pillars and walls of the temple, 
as well as of the glorious sculpture which 
adorned them, that we are able to imagine the 
departed splendour of the Grecian art, and 
cannot but admire the people who could con- 
ceive and carry out such vast ideas. With 
what emotions must an Athenian have been 
filled when he gazed abroad from the summit 
of the Acropolis ! In the foreground of Mount 
Attica lay the pleasant plain with the Holy 
Olive-grove and the Cephissus murmuring be- 
neath its shade. The buildings of Athens ex 



10 



ATHENS. 



tended to the citadel ; and to the south, ap- 
peared the sea and the haven, with the islands 
of iEgina and Salamis. The mountains of Pelo- 
ponnesus bounded the horizon ; and the whole 
scene, lying beneath the ether blue of a Grecian 
sky, was animated by the memory of the deeds 
of yore. The admiration with which its ruins 
fill us, enables us to comprehend the wonder, 
which, according to the ancient authors, the 
Acropolis once awakened. 

At the foot of the citadel lies a small doric 
temple of Pentelicon marble, called the Tem- 
ple of Theseus, and distinguished for its ex- 
cellent state of preservation. The sculpture it 
contains represents the deeds of Hercules and 
the conflicts of Theseus. It was at one time 
used as a church, and dedicated to St. George, 
but is now the best museum for the works of 
Greece which the country possesses. Upon a 
hill to the south-west of the Acropolis, is the 
Pnyx, where, under the free heaven, the popular 
assemblies were held. Here, with Athens before 
his eyes, and the burning love of his fatherland 
in his heart, Demosthenes harangued, whose 
words of power made Greece tremble. 

North of the Pnyx, and west of the Acropolis, 
from which it is separated by a valley upon a 
hill, is the spot which was the first we visited 
in Athens, and the memory of which will endure 
the longest. It is the Areopagus ; where, under 
the free sky, the chief justice court of Athens 
held its meetings. The steps leading from 
the valley between the Areopagus and the 
Pnyx to the hill are still to be traced ; upon it 
are the seats of the judges, hewn out of the 



ATHENS. 



11 



rock ; two prominent blocks of stone may mark 
the seats of the accused and the accuser. To 
this Areopagus, this court of justice, Paul 
was led, and before the assembled people of 
Athens, the Epicureans, and Stoics, and all 
who had assembled " to hear some new thing," 
he delivered a discourse which remains a model 
of unequalled eloquence. He looked forth upon 
the city, upon the lustrous marble Acropolis, 
upon the Temple of Theseus, and all the 
other glorious temples, whose fame has scarcely 
reached us, and exclaimed, " God that made 
the world and all things therein, seeing that he 
is Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in 
temples made with hands." He saw the image 
of the goddess towering above the Acropolis, 
thought of the works of Phidias, and the in- 
numerable images of deities that adorned the 
city, and said, " Forasmuch, then, as we are the 
offspring of God, we ought not to think that the 
Godhead is like unto gold, or silver, or stone, 
graven by art and man's device." He pro- 
claimed to the men of Athens, who " in all 
things were too superstitious, the unknown 
God, whom they ignorantly worshipped." He 
gave judgment upon the highest form of hea- 
thenism with skill and wisdom : spoke of the 
ability of man to seek, but not to find the one 
true God ; and insisted that a revelation from 
heaven was necessary. These words of Paul 
enabled us to view the Grecian antiquities 
aright, and awakened in our hearts an earn- 
est longing for the land in which a revelation 
was accorded to mankind. Our feelings on 
the Acropolis were reciprocated by two men, 



12 



ATHENS. 



who have added much to the information respect- 
ing Greece and the Holy Land — the Austrian 
Ambassador, Prokesch von Osten, and Count 
Laborde, to whose researches we are much 
indebted. 

One morning we wandered to the grove of 
the Cephissus, whither we were conducted by 
Professor Philip Joannu, the first Greek for 
many centuries who has taught philosophy in 
his native land. 

Beautiful gardens border the refreshing stream, 
on which olive, pomegranate, fig, and myrtle 
trees abound ; alcoves of vines intersect them. 
The air and vegetation are fresher than in 
Athens ; it is as if the breath of life were wafted 
from this spot to the town. And here we were 
shown a garden, said to be the academy of Plato, 
in which he walked with his scholars. The view 
of the great town stretched out before him, 
with its noisy, restless throng, raised his thoughts 
to the heights of heaven, and he then uttered 
deeper truths concerning the being of God 
than were ever heard from any other philo- 
sopher of old. 

If the neighbourhood of the academy has 
preserved but little of its original appearance, 
we soon visited a quiet grotto, over which the 
course of centuries has passed without producing 
any change. 

The road led us to the foot of Mount Hy- 
mettus, whose honey still deserves the praise 
which the ancient authors gave it. Proceeding 
to the sea-shore, the islands of Salamis and 
iEgina appeared in the foreground, while the 
height of Acro-Corinth was visible in the dis- 



ATHENS. 



13 



tance. After nearly four hours we reached a 
farm house in a valley, in the vicinity of which 
is the grotto which was once dedicated to Pan, 
the god of the woods and fields. The natural 
chambers contain altars, on which offerings were 
silently deposited. There, as an exposed child, 
Plato was found ; and honey, it is said, was on 
his lips — an ingenious intimation of the solitude 
in which he received that wisdom for which he 
was afterwards so distinguished. 

Another day, Dr. Liith, the court preacher, 
conducted us to the Pentelicon. A pleasant path, 
perfumed with the fragrance of the bay and 
myrtle, leads gradually up to the Greek Con- 
vent, at the foot of the mountain. Great as 
was the external poverty of the monks, it was 
trifling in comparison with their spiritual desti- 
tution. We wandered on foot from the con- 
vent ; here and there the dazzling white marble 
of the quarries appeared ; a beautiful grotto, 
once used as a church, afforded us repose and 
shelter from the sun and wind, and at last 
we reached the summit of the Pentelicon, 
3500 feet high. A delightful prospect lay 
before us. At our feet, was the plain of Athens, 
and beyond it the sea, dotted with islands ; on 
the other side, is seen the battle-field of Mara- 
thon ; and near the sea-shore, shaded by trees, 
the hillock, beneath which are buried the Greeks 
who fell there. The picturesque mountain of 
Eubcea is also visible ; and the lovely island, 
now retreating into the bosom of the sea — now 
projecting in a rocky promontory, a prospect 
which presented the most glorious scenes of 
Athens to our view, and deeply impressed our 



14 THE GREEK CHURCH. 

hearts with the loveliness of Greece ; a beauty 
which we sought in vain in Egypt and Italy, 
and which was only excelled by the scenery 
of the Holy Land. 



CHAPTER III. 

THE GREEK CHURCH. 

Let us now turn from the impressions produced 
upon our minds by the city of Athens, to the 
consideration of the Greek Church : and, first, 
we must glance backward to the first centuries 
of the Christian Church. The Greek language 
was that most in use in the time of the apostles. 
For this reason, the gospels and epistles were 
written in it. But when the boundaries of the 
promised land were passed, and the apostolic 
churches became more extended, each con- 
gregation worshipped in its mother tongue, and 
thus introduced the use of many languages into 
the one Christian Church. In the west, the 
Latin tongue was used; and the distinction 
between the Eastern and Western Churches 
consisted at first only in this difference of lan- 
guage. But it soon extended to other points, 
so that both churches began to modify their 
doctrines and worship according to their re- 
spective peculiarities. 

These diversities continued till the time of 



THE GREEK CHURCH. 



15 



Constantine ; when, by his conversion to Chris- 
tianity, the boundaries of the church were con- 
siderably enlarged, and a form of government 
was given it by the Emperor, who instructed 
the Eastern and Western Churches to hold a 
common assembly. Here the more sober and 
sensible character of the West often appeared 
in opposition to the lively, impressible spirit 
of the East ; and in the discussions respecting 
christian doctrines, the Roman Catholic Western 
Church (by means of great determination) often 
obtained the victory over the wavering Greeks, 
and preserved a greater uniformity than the 
latter, among whom many sects arose, following 
this or that strange doctrine — as the Coptic, 
Armenian, or Nestorian. 

The difference between the churches became 
at length so great, that at the end of the eighth 
century, the union almost ceased to exist ; and in 
the twelfth century, the Pope of Rome and the 
Patriarch of Constantinople excommunicated 
each other at the same time. Since that period, 
the churches have maintained a bitter hatred 
towards one another, each asserting itself to 
hold the orthodox Catholic faith. It appears 
that the Greek Church numbers about seventy 
millions, and the Roman, a hundred and forty 
millions of adherents. The Pope has, never- 
theless, succeeded in subjecting to his authority 
several Greek churches ; these are now called 
Greek-Catholic, while the others style them- 
selves Greek-Orthodox. 

With respect to the teaching of this Church, 
its compendium of doctrine was written towards 
the close of the eighth century, by J ohn Damas- 



16 



THE GREEK CHURCH. 



cenus, a monk from the convent of St. Saba, 
near Jerusalem, and is entitled, " Explanation of 
the Orthodox Faith." To this the Greek Church 
has adhered; and, while in the West, under the 
blessing of God's Spirit, great light has been 
obtained on the meaning of the Holy Scriptures 
(although many deviations from the right way 
have also been permitted to creep in), the 
Greek Church retains its original constitution. 
Its principles approximate nearer to the Pro- 
testant faith than do those of the Roman Catho- 
lics ; and it has been less decided in its opposition 
to the doctrine of justification by faith. If it 
accepts the seven sacraments, it rejects the theory 
of purgatory. The Holy Sacrament is adminis- 
tered in both kinds ; and a spoon of wine is 
presented to the communicant, containing a 
piece of broken bread. One singular custom 
prevalent among them is, that little children are 
admitted after baptism to the Sacrament of the 
Supper, manifestly in opposition to the rule of 
the apostle, who enjoins self-examination pre- 
vious to the Communion. The marriage of the 
lower grade of priests is permitted ; the higher 
ranks of ecclesiastics alone being prohibited 
from entering into the conjugal state. But 
much as the Greek Church resembles the Pro- 
testant in some particulars, the Word of the 
Lord does not possess that authority which 
belongs to it, and an individual acquaintance 
with the Scriptures is almost unknown. 

The impediments to the progress of the 
Church were owing partly to the general de- 
cline of the Eastern power ; but principally to 
the severe and widely-extended sway of the Ma- 



THE GREEK CHURCH. 



17 



hommedans, by whom the Greek Christians were 
continually confined within narrower bounds. 
A want of spiritual cultivation, almost beyond 
conception, was the result ; preaching fell more 
and more into disuse, until it was at length com- 
pletely abandoned ; and the beautiful Liturgy, 
which the early church had left to succeeding 
generations as an inimitable inheritance, became 
incomprehensible to the people, whose language 
had undergone considerable alteration. 

The poor people sank into gross superstition ; 
and adopted a worship of the saints, and their 
images, more degrading than is often to be found 
in the Romish Church itself. 

Such is the position of the Greek Church. 
Nothing but the deliverance of the land from 
the Turkish yoke, accompanied by a great 
political and ecclesiastical agitation has been 
suflicient to arouse it from its sleep of centuries. 
This has been facilitated by its withdrawal from 
the authority of the Patriarch of Constantinople, 
and its placing itself, after the model of the 
Russian-Greek Church, in the hands of a Holy 
Synod ; which assembles at stated periods for the 
arrangement of affairs, and is represented by 
a settled committee. Reformatory regulations 
will doubtless follow this independency. 

A Theological Faculty has lately been in- 
stituted by the Royal University, and three 
Professors have been nominated — Pharmakides, 
Misaili, and Kotogonis. We found in these men, 
a right cheering acquaintance with the progress 
of modern theological literature, and a lively 
interest in science, united with a determined 
adherence to the old doctrines of the church. 

c 



18 THE GREEK CHURCH. 

Kotogonis has just given to the public a com- 
position in modern Greek on Christian Archaeo- 
logy^ which may be the beginning of a new 
order of theological literature in Greece. The 
lectures were designed for the lower class of 
scholars ; their number is, notwithstanding, very 
trifling, consisting principally of elder clergy, 
who are endeavouring to retrieve lost time. 
The institution is not yet limited to the clergy, 
as most of the young theologians are prevented, 
by extreme poverty, from attending the lectures. 
As the University is responding to the necessities 
of the public with regard to science, so their 
wants are being met in another point of view, 
inasmuch as particular clergymen have been 
appointed as preachers ; and, although there are 
as yet, only four for the whole kingdom, we 
must hail this beginning with joy. 

To aid these earnest efforts of the Greek 
Church, Protestant Churches, in the spirit of 
true christian love, have brought their valuable 
assistance. As christian charity is, in all cir- 
cumstances, enjoined to assist with its coun- 
sel and experience the progress of weaker 
members of the church, so it is the obvious 
duty of those who, through the aid of God's 
Spirit, have made some advancement, to extend 
the helping hand to less enlightened sister 
churches ; and a blessing will not fail to rest 
upon the work. We must, with shame, confess, 
that our German Evangelical Church has, on 
this point, entirely forgotten her duty, in 
remaining, hitherto, completely inactive. The 
English Church has acted in a manner worthy 
our imitation. She sent out Leeves, an agent 



THE GREEK CHURCH. 



19 



of the Bible Society, a wealthy man, of whom 
few such examples occur among us ; and who, 
for Christ's sake alone, undertook his self-deny- 
ing work. Unhappily, however, death has 
recently taken him from his long-continued and 
much-blessed labours. He had the task of 
translating the Bible into modern Greek, and 
dispersing it abroad. 

The Greek Church received this service of 
love with thankfulness ; and placed no hin- 
drances in the way of the dissemination of the 
Scriptures. This fact, certainly establishes an 
essential point of difference between the Church 
of the kingdom of Greece, and the other Greek 
and Romish Churches; for every true eccle- 
siastical amendment can only proceed from, and 
progress by means of, the Word of God. 

Hill, a missionary from the North American 
Episcopal Church, is acting upon the true prin- 
ciple, that it is most important to work upon 
the minds of the children, so as to arouse, and 
train them up to be living members of the Greek 
Church. The numerous missionary societies 
in operation among the eastern Christians, have 
not made it their endeavour to obtain prose- 
lytes to their own denominations ; but in sincere 
and disinterested love, have sought to assist the 
independent elevation of the Eastern Church. 
Thus, Hill established schools, first in Syra, 
and then in Athens, which enjoy the superin- 
tendence of his excellent wife. The school is 
close to the spot supposed to have been the 
market-place where the apostle Paul " disputed 
daily with them that met with him."* When 
* Acts xvii. 17. 

c 2 



20 



THE GREEK CHURCH. 



we visited it, it was attended by from five to 
six hundred girls and boys. The Lancas- 
terian mode of instruction is adopted ; and un- 
der the inspection of the teachers the children 
are taught to control themselves. The only 
reading book used in the various classes is 
the Bible, which is explained to them by 
Mrs. Hill. The children appear very happy, 
and the joy with which they sung their hymn 
of praise, made a deep impression on my mind. 
The religious instruction is occasionally im- 
parted by a Greek clergyman, (a concession 
Mr. Hill willingly makes, as the government 
of Greece has placed at the head of similar 
schools in several islands, teachers trained by 
himself and his wife). These teachers, who all 
remain in the Greek Church, live in a kind of 
seminary in Mr. Hill's house, and he has their 
religious advancement much at heart. Indeed, 
we witnessed in the East, few sights so gladden- 
ing as the house of this gentleman, who is 
animated, in a remarkable manner, with a warm 
and earnest christian spirit. 

Owing to the many difficulties it has had to 
encounter from the Greek Church, the North 
American Presbyterian Mission has almost re- 
tired, and has united its energies for the blessed 
work of usefulness in the Armenian Church. 
Mr. King, alone, one of the oldest missionaries 
in the East, remains in Athens. He holds ser- 
vices in modern Greek, which are attended by 
a small, but very attentive congregation. He 
has lately published a prayer-book, containing 
a collection of prayers from the Bible. 

.We had several times an opportunity of 



THE GREEK CHURCH. 



21 



attending the Greek service in Athens. The 
appearance of the churches is very melancholy. 
It is true, that the foundation of a cathedral has 
been laid, but the means have not yet been 
found to carry it farther ; so that service is per- 
formed in some of the little chapels which were 
used in early times, and have escaped the 
destruction of the late war. It resembles that 
of the Roman Catholic Church, since they are 
both derived from the same source — the Liturgy 
of the first centuries; only, in the Greek church, 
the choir, with the altar, is separated from the 
nave by a curtain or high wall ; and, according 
to the Old Testament order 3 none but the 
priests are admitted into the holiest of all. It 
is also forbidden for the women to worship with 
the men ; they, therefore, assemble in a trellised 
apartment at the side of the church. The 
Greeks employ in worship only the standing 
posture ; so that neither chairs nor benches 
are found in their churches, but wooden 
crutches are placed in the corners, on which 
the weak may lean during the long services. 
They never kneel in prayer, but bend almost 
to the ground in some parts of the Liturgy, as 
in the " Kyrie," (Lord have mercy,) and throw 
dust upon their heads. The devotion of the 
people is not to be mistaken ; although the de- 
portment of the clergy and choristers is very 
little edifying. The English Church is un- 
doubtedly the most beautiful in Athens. It is 
situated on a small eminence in the vicinity of 
the royal castle, and is built of Pentelicon 
marble in the gothic style. The large number 
of English visitors ensures a good congregation 



22 



THE GREEK CHURCH. 



in the winter ; and in the summer, no service is 
held. Mr. Leeves was formerly chaplain to the 
Embassy ; and Mr. Hill, who then assisted him, 
now occupies his place. 

We were also privileged to take part in the 
German service. The Queen of Greece belongs 
to the Protestant church, and has a chapel in the 
royal castle, in which Dr. Liith is installed as 
court preacher. He also takes charge of the 
spiritual interests of the Germans residing at 
Athens, and is known at home by his sermons. 
In his pleasant parsonage we felt thankful for 
some agreeable intercourse in heathen Athens, 
I readily accepted an invitation to occupy his 
pulpit, and preached from Matt, xxviii. 20, 
" Teaching them to observe all things whatso- 
ever I have commanded you; and, lo, I am 
with you alway, even unto the end of the 
world. Amen." About thirty persons were 
present, and I deeply rejoiced to be permitted 
to testify of the union of Christ with his own 
people, in the place where the apostle Paul had 
preached the " Unknown God." Her majesty 
the Queen had afterwards the goodness to 
grant me an audience. I quite understood 
why the Grecian people regard her with such 
devoted attachment, for she is the mother of 
her country, and an example of genuine piety. 
If we look back upon the ecclesiastical condi- 
tion of Greece, we must be rejoiced to see that 
the Lord's kingdom is advancing in it ; and we 
cannot but observe, that other Greek churches 
which have obstructed the advancement of the 
sister church, afford little hope of improvement 
amongst themselves* 



CHAPTER IV. 



CORSNTH. 

In addition to Athens, it was our wish to 
learn something of Corinth, where the apostle 
Paul passed some years of his life. In com- 
pany with a young English divine, we prepared 
for the journey. As practicable roads have 
hitherto been made only to the Piraeus and to 
Eleusis, it was necessary to perform this journey 
on horseback. We set off one morning with a 
clever and experienced guide, named Francis. 
We rode over the Cephissus ; and upon the range 
of hills at the side, saw one of the chapels of 
Elijah, to whom many are dedicated, on the spots 
where heathen temples once stood ; no doubt in 
reference to his deed on Mount Carmel. We 
reached Daphne, where once stood the temple 
of the Apollo of Daphne — the laurel-wreathed 
Apollo. On the same spot, there is now a con- 
vent, surrounded with laurel trees ; by the side 
of the road, the traces of the old holy way leading 
to Eleusis, are still to be seen ; and in the cliffs 
are niches, in which are deposited the pilgrims' 
offerings and the statues of the gods. To the 
right, we saw both the seas, which, higher than 
the adjacent one, contain salt water; and, after 
about three hours, we were in Eleusis. Upon 
the summit of a hill, is a spot where the 
sanctuary for the celebration of the Eleusinian 
mysteries once stood; and the ruins that lie 
scattered in the neighbourhood, testify to its 



24 



CORINTH. 



existence. It rises from a chain of mountain 
which projects boldly towards the sea ; the 
horizon is bounded by the dark green of the 
mountains of Salamis, the numerous peaks of 
which tower into the sky. The sea is sur- 
rounded by a mysterious, dark, and frowning 
range of mountains ; while a small break in the 
coast of Salamis, opens up to view the wide 
ocean; so, before the eyes of a few enlight- 
ened, the narrow boundary of religious know- 
ledge extends itself into a world-wide prospect. 
In the mysteries of the ancients, particularly in 
those of Eleusis, the longing of the heathen 
mind, for the blessed revelation of God to man, 
is evident ; they show how their hearts and 
consciences were led by the voice of God, to 
look for the fulfilment of the promise made to 
their fathers of the house of Noah ; and how, 
among the most enlightened of them, their 
numerous deities were but a substitute for the 
unknown God, whom they sought. We rested 
at Eleusis during the middle of the day, accord- 
ing to the custom of the Greeks, and arrived 
at Megara in about four hours. Here we en- 
tered a khan, which presented nothing but two 
bare rooms ; but the two pack-horses, the cook, 
and the boy of our guide, soon arrived, and the 
rooms were made habitable. At sunset, a good 
meal was prepared, at which we were refreshed 
with the excellent wine of Santorin. A fine 
prospect was visible from the roof of the khan ; 
some small buildings mark the town ; they are 
principally made of a species of shell-stone, 
which easily crumbles into dust ; there are,, 
therefore, hardly any ruins to be found. The 



CORINTH. 



25 



territory of the town is bounded towards the 
sea by a semicircle of mountains, such as we 
had seen, on a smaller scale, at Eleusis, and on 
a larger, at Athens. This circumstance makes 
it clear, that every such Grecian town could 
form for itself a separate state; and become 
important, by means of commerce and colonies. 

The declining sun exhibited that wonderful 
blending of colours, which makes the evening 
so glorious beneath the Grecian heaven. The 
women were returning home from their work ; 
the children carrying basketsfull of olives, 
which they had gathered in the woods of the 
plain ; beasts of burden paced slowly on be- 
neath their heavy loads; a single camel (the 
only one which remained since the time of the 
Turkish domination), dragged itself along with 
heavy mournful steps ; the flocks sought their 
fold ; while Greeks, magnificently attired with 
glittering arms and red turbans streaming grace- 
fully in the air, comfortably smoked their pipes 
in evening repose. 

On the following day, the way led directly 
to the sea-shore, by the declivity of Mount 
Gerania; and a charming prospect of the sea 
and islands lay before us. In the afternoon, we 
saw Calamaki, on the eastern side of the isthmus 
of Corinth. We rode over the isthmus, which 
is about two miles wide. On the side appeared 
the remains of the gigantic walls by which the 
Romans divided Achaia from Hellas ; and, 
from the top of a hill, a view was gained of the 
two seas, and Corinth, with its splendid citadel. 

Corinth is a small, poor town, preserving no 
relics of its ancient glory, excepting seven 




26 



CORINTH. 



doric pillars ; and these, surrounded by the 
devastated buildings of later times, testify to 
the mutability of earthly grandeur. It is almost 
incredible that this place, in which the air now 
produces such multiplied diseases, was once 
inhabited by a large population ; that it was 
the centre of Grecian commerce and Grecian 
life ; and remained of considerable importance, 
when the other cities had sunk under the scep- 
tre of Rome. 

The town was formerly distinguished for 
its advancement in science, and its strivings 
after wisdom ; although a great corruption of 
manners prevailed. The apostle Paul selected 
it as his residence. He found here Aquila, 
with his wife Priscilla ; " and because he was of 
the same craft, he abode with them and wrought ; 
for by their occupation they were tent makers : 
and he reasoned in the Synagogue every Sab- 
bath, and persuaded the Jews and the Greeks. 5 '* 
But, as the Jews opposed him, he turned from 
them to the Gentiles, and continued with them 
a year and six months. He founded the church, 
whose errors afterwards called forth the two 
Epistles to the Corinthians. 

These Epistles afford many features by which 
we can form an idea of the church life of the 
first apostolic Christians. We see how Sunday 
w as marked by a solemn assembly of the saints : 
how on that day, offerings of love were collected 
for the support of the needy brethren : in what 
manner the Lord's Supper was observed on 
these occasions : how the women were silent in 

* Acts chap, xviii. ver. 3. 



CORINTH. 



27 



the churches, and appeared only with covered 
heads : how the service consisted, even then, of 
the singing of psalms, and choruses, or spiritual 
hymns ; of united prayer, and the reading of 
the Scriptures, which included the exposition, 
or sermon. How, in addition to the elders, 
deacons were appointed for the care of the 
necessitous ; whose example of christian love 
was soon followed by deaconesses also. We 
certainly hear that, even then, there were many 
in the church who bore the name of Christian, 
without, in heart, belonging to Christ ; and that 
the apostles exercised a wise discipline in re- 
proving and excluding such members. The 
small number of Greek Christians who now 
inhabit Corinth would certainly call forth the 
censure of the apostle. 

In order still more to transport ourselves 
from the present to the past, we ascended the 
citadel of the place, Acro-Corinth. The enor- 
mous rock upon which the fortress was built, 
rises abruptly from the plain to the height of 
about 2000 feet. It was, in old time, considered 
impregnable, and could only fall into the 
enemy's hand through treason, or sudden sur- 
prise. We were about two hours in ascending ; 
but the magnificent prospect of the whole of 
Greece, which we saw from its summit, amply 
repaid all our toil. We looked over the narrow 
isthmus at our feet to Hymettus and Parnes ; 
between them glittered the pinnacles of the 
Acropolis of Athens ; the mountains of Cythae- 
ron, Gerania, and Helicon were clearly seen ; 
and even the majestic triple-peaked Parnassus 
was visible in the distance, which, as a high 



28 



CORINTH. 



watch-tower, once allured from all parts of 
Greece, to the Delphic oracle at its feet, those 
who needed counsel or comfort. On the other 
side, towered the hills of the Morea. And it 
seemed as if a look to this mountain land almost 
revealed the character of the Peloponnesus; 
which had produced so powerful and upright 
a people as the Spartans. 

Well pleased with this splendid prospect, 
which Paul had no doubt often enjoyed, we 
approached the mountains of Peloponnesus. 
The way led, for some time, by a rivulet ; over 
which oleanders hung like trees, bearing the 
most beautiful blossoms. After three hours, 
we arrived at a plain, surrounded by mountains, 
in which three upright doric pillars pointed 
out the Temple of Nemea. The remaining 
columns lay broken on the ground. In this 
glorious plain — this natural amphitheatre — the 
Nemean combats were celebrated. And here, 
the sons of Greece were adorned with well- 
earned laurels. 

The flocks were coming down from the 
mountains to winter, and the shepherds en- 
camped in tents, which they had pitched on 
the declivity of the hills. Many holes were 
discernible in the cliffs ; and, from one of these, 
the Nemean lion was once brought forth and 
slain by Hercules in victorious combat — a 
tradition which, like the other legends of the 
labours of Hercules, points in shadowy meta- 
phor to the power of the God-man, who was 
promised to tread upon the serpent, and to 
conquer all the enemies of the human race. 

We passed the night at a miserable khan, 



CORINTH. 



29 



in the neighbourhood of Nemea. It consisted 
of two apartments, on two floors. The lower 
room was occupied by the host, some Greeks, 
and the animals ; the upper, which served as a 
store chamber, was assigned to us. We looked 
from our couch, through the wide-gaping tiles, 
on the clear starry sky ; and the wind of a cold 
November night blew on us from all sides. 
We were glad to be able to mount our horses 
at sun-rise ; and, after a ride of three hours, 
we reached the ruins of a bridge, which (com- 
posed of Cyclopseian blocks of stone) led over 
the brook to Mycenae. On the declivity of the 
hill, you enter, through a gate, composed of 
huge stones, into the treasure house of Atreus. 

It consists of a vaulted grotto, in a conical 
form, protected by well-hewTi, square stones; 
and here Atreus, King of Mycenae, concealed 
his treasures. A second grotto, similar to the 
former, and quite dark, is connected with it ; 
and is said to be the grave of his great son, 
Agamemnon. The ruins of the citadel lie in 
the immediate neighbourhood. They consist 
of blocks of stone, of a wonderful magnitude. 

After passing over a barren plain, we crossed 
the Inachus, and arrived at Argos. It was the 
first large town we had seen since our departure 
from Athens ; and, amid Sunday festivity, pre- 
sented a cheerful aspect. We soon met several 
wedding processions. In the front, were chil- 
dren and musicians ; youths then advanced, in 
costly array, followed by men ; and, behind, 
came the bride, led by the bridegroom, and a 
friend, richly adorned with gold and silver 
tassels, and valuable medals. An umbrella was 



30 



CORINTH. 



held over her head, as a canopy. She was 
followed by girls, adorned for the festival ; and 
women, with earnest countenances, completed 
the procession. There are no ancient remains 
in Argos, except a theatre, which, hewn out of 
the rock, is open towards the sea ; so that the 
spectators could look over the stage on the 
lovely bay of Nauplia. The ruins of Tirynthus, 
in the vicinity, are very interesting, and present 
the largest specimens of the Cyclopseian build- 
ings. They consisted of a fortress, situated on 
a hill ; and are particularly distinguished for 
their arched galleries, which might have served 
as points from which to attack the enemy. 

A good high road leads from Argos, through 
Tirynthus, to Nauplia. Here we again found 
European regulations, with many traces of its 
having been the capital of the country, and the 
residence of the king. The steamboat Colowrat, 
took us up the next day, and re-conducted us to 
the Piraeus, after a richly-rewarded excursion 
of five days. 



CHAPTER V. 
SYRA. 

A short time only was allowed us to look at 
Athens, with the abundance of its treasures ; 
and to bid farewell to our friends there. We 
ascended the Areopagus ; and, from the temple, 
glanced at the principal points — the citadel 
itself, the Temple of Theseus, the Academy of 



SYR A. 



31 



Plato, the Pentelicon, the Hymettus, and the 
distant height of Acro-Corinth. We looked 
over the small churches of the town, and 
returned home over the Areopagus ; upon which 
we had learned to estimate aright the treasures 
of Greece. 

Thankful for so prosperous a commencement 
of our journey, we again embarked, on the 
evening of the 20th November, in the French 
steamer Mentor, and cast anchor the following 
morning, in the harbour of Syra. 

It was long before we received the Cc Libera 
Pratica,"— the freedom from quarantine ; a 
formula which, from whatever part a vessel 
arrives, occasions a long delay in all the har- 
bours of the Mediterranean sea. We hastened 
to the residence of Mr. Hildner, the agent of 
the English Missionary Society, from the pro- 
vince of Saxony, with whom we spent two 
delightful hours. His zealous exertions for the 
diffusion of the divine word have been so 
successful, that every family in Syra may now 
receive a copy of the gospel. He is also at the 
head of a school, for boys and girls ; and is 
assisted in the work of instruction by two 
excellent teachers, from Germany — Henning 
and Sandersky, as well as by several Greeks. 
The school is certainly not so well attended as 
that in Athens, but it has the advantage of 
being able to receive elder boys. 

Notwithstanding many violent persecutions, 
it has always been able to retain the esteem and 
love of ihe Greeks. Close to the school is the 
room appropriated for religious worship. On 
Sunday morning an English service is held, 



32 



SYR A. 



at which the crews of the English ships attend. 
As some Germans are settled in Syra, and as 
ships from that country are frequently in the 
harbour , Mr. Hildner, out of love to his country- 
men^ holds a service in German, every Sunday 
afternoon, at which the Liturgy of the English 
Church is used. The German sailors occasion- 
ally accept the invitation which is given them on 
each occasion ; but the poor little room, appro- 
priated for the purpose, does not answer its 
intention, and a collection is being made for 
the erection of a church, for the use of the 
Germans, and English ; and, it is to be hoped, 
that, by the liberal contributions of christian 
love, the design will soon be carried out. This 
was the last time, for nearly a year, that we 
were in a German parsonage — completely one 
in German feeling — Hildner being the only 
missionary whom we found married to a German 
lady; the wives of all the other missionaries 
from that country being either English or 
Americans. 

The German housewife gives the character 
to family existence ; and the impression that 
we were about to be separated from German 
domestic life, imparted additional value to the 
hours we passed with this interesting family. 
In the afternoon, we were compelled to bid 
adieu ; and, accompanied by the prayers of the 
brethren, we took leave of the town, and, with 
it, of the coast of Europe. As we embarked 
on board the steamboat, which displayed the 
yellow flag of quarantine, and were suddenly 
cut off from all communication with the land, 
we experienced, in renewed force, the feelings 



SYHA. 



S3 



which had agitated our breasts on our depar- 
ture from Trieste. We found ourselves in the 
fine French boat, Sesostris. Among the nu- 
merous company, we were rejoiced to meet two 
Germans from Frankfort, SeufFerheld and Dr. 
Bagge, with whom we often afterwards came 
in contact. An English clergyman, whose ac- 
quaintance we now made, was subsequently our 
companion in the Desert, and in the Promised 
Land. Our voyage was very favourable ; and, 
on the second day, our eyes were gladdened 
by the beautiful prospect of Crete, appearing 
every moment above the water with more dis- 
tinctness. The sublime Mount Ida towered 
above the clouds ; and we thought of Paul, who 
had often sailed by the island, and who did 
not give its inhabitants the highest character. 
" The Cretians are always liars."* The in- 
tense heat of Egypt made us sensible that 
we were retiring farther and farther from the 
shores of Europe. 

* Titus i. 12. 



i) 



PART II. 

EGYPT. 



CHAPTER I. 

ALEXANDRIA. 

On the morning of the 24th, the African 
coast presented itself to view, and we soon 
perceived abruptly towering minarets, waving 
palm trees, forests of masts, and above them 
all the pillar of Pompey. We had reached 
Alexandria. A pilot steered the boat into the 
dangerous old harbour. At the side was the 
magnificent palace of the Pasha, with the 
harem, enclosed by high walls ; and, before us, 
the melancholy remains of the ruined fleet of 
Egypt. As soon as the anchor was cast, the steam 
packet was surrounded by innumerable small 
boats; the many coloured owners of which, 
sought, by various arts, to entice the travellers. 

On reaching the shore, the multitude in- 
creased, and a new world opened before us. The 
complexion of the people was of every hue, 
from black, brown, and yellow, to white. By 
the side of a few European Turks, in white 
garments, and glittering arms, were Egyptians, 
in miserable rags, with which they could 
scarcely cover themselves ; women in long 



ALEXANDRIA. 



35 



trailing dresses of blue ; and little children 
quite unclothed ; beasts of burden were being 
driven through the crowd ; camels were seen 
bearing bales of merchandize ; and rival owners 
of beautifully harnessed asses, were eagerly 
offering them to the foot-passengers. The 
host of the excellent hotel d'Orient, soon 
rescued us from this throng, and conducted 
us in a European conveyance, through the 
bustling streets to the great Place of the Frank 
Quarter. If, in the Egyptian Quarter, we had 
remarked little of the oriental character, we 
here almost fancied ourselves transported back 
again to Europe. 

We first visited Pompey's pillar. The way 
leads over heaps of ruins, which mark the 
situation of the old city. On the side were 
beautiful palm-tree woods ; and beHnd the bury- 
ing-place of the new town, upon a slight eleva- 
tion, towers the stately column, nearly a hundred 
feet in height, solitary in the place of desolation. 

On the other side of the town, near the two 
new harbours are Cleopatra's needles — two 
obelisks of red granite, supposed to have been 
brought from Heliopolis, for the purpose of 
ornamenting a temple. One of them lies ex- 
tended on the ground ; the Viceroy has made 
it a present to the English ; but the ponderous 
gift has, notwithstanding, been suffered to con- 
tinue peacefully in its former position. In the 
immediate neighbourhood, we saw an English 
church, nearly completed. Crowds of English 
were leaving the neighbouring room, in which 
service had been held. We learned with deep 
sorrow, that the German Protestants, of whom 

d 2 



36 



ALEXANDRIA. 



there are a considerable number, are without 
any spiritual oversight. It was the last Sunday 
of the Church year, on which we celebrate at 
home the remembrance of the deceased ; and 
on this day we descended into the Cata- 
combs, the burying-place of ancient Alexandria. 
Several entrances lead into a large subterranean 
apartment, supported by pillars, from which, 
through a hall, you enter a whole row of sepul- 
chral chambers. Several tiers of holes are 
hewn in the yielding rock, which served the 
purpose of coffins. The noxious air obliged us 
soon to leave the spot. 

On the death-festival in the town of the dead, 
we thought of the lustre which once encompassed 
Alexandria. The city was founded by Alexander 
the Great, in order to unite the eastern and west- 
ern world. It answered this object, and attained 
so great a magnitude that the number of its in- 
habitants was only surpassed by that of the 
people of Rome. One of Alexander's suc- 
cessors, Ptolemy Soter, established the first 
library here, which soon contained seven hun- 
dred thousand volumes. A copy, or translation, 
was made of every book of importance ; and, 
here, in the second century before Christ, the 
Septuagint, or translation of the Old Testament 
into Greek was completed ; seventy learned 
men being appointed to the work, who, it is 
said, were perfectly unanimous respecting the 
translation. Thus, the revelation of the Old 
Testament became known to the heathen, and 
prepared the way for Christianity. A museum 
was annexed to the library, so that the literati 
were enabled to devote themselves exclusively 



ALEXANDRIA. 



37 



to the pursuits of science, and to instruct 
the young men who flocked to them from 
all parts. Here Apollos received that wisdom 
with which he preached Christ, in the time of 
the Apostle, and which procured him so many- 
adherents in Corinth, that animosities arose ; 
and Paul was obliged to defend the simple 
preaching of the Gospel, before the proud 
originators of these divisions. Clemens and 
Origen established in this place the Catechumen 
school, in which instruction concerning Chris- 
tianity was imparted in a learned manner. 
Here, too, was the party who, blending Grecian 
philosophy, and oriental contemplation, with 
christian notions, originated the remarkable ideas 
of the Gnostics ; but Alexandria also sent forth 
men, who, like Athanasius, in our Nicene Con- 
fession of Faith, knew how to defend, in an able 
manner, the doctrines of scripture, against 
false teachers. But now the town has lost all 
such distinctions, and is enlivened only by 
commerce and navigation. 

On this account we willingly left it after two 
days, and embarked in a little steamboat on the 
Mahmoudie Canal. The mouths of the Nile 
are so blocked up with sand, as materially to 
impede navigation. Mehemet Ali has, there- 
fore, caused to be dug, in a single year, by 
twenty-five thousand Fellahs, or poor farmers, 
a canal of several miles extent, from Alexandria 
to Atfeh. In departing, we saw once more the 
stately pillar of Pompey, in the midst of its 
town of graves ; to the side was the sea of 
Mareotis, which appeared to us little more than 
a large marsh. On the banks of the canal were 



38 



ALEXANDRIA, 



blooming gardens, ornamented by the waving 
palm tree ; and when these were lost in the dis- 
tance, palm groves appeared among the villages 
which lay scattered in considerable numbers, 
by the side of the canal. The miserable huts, 
from which starving, half-clad Fellahs emerged, 
certainly presented a melancholy feature in the 
condition of Egypt. Towards evening we 
reached Atfeh, and, after passing the sluices, 
ran into the bed of the Nile. It is a wide and 
majestic stream, like the Rhine, at Cologne or 
Diisseldorf, a stream, which, as the diffuser of 
blessing — the bringer of life — has, for centuries, 
received the religious veneration of the grateful 
people. Date trees, and sycamores, waved 
above the rushes on the shore, and the fields 
were arrayed in the freshest green. 

We were here transferred to a larger, and 
more comfortable steamboat, and went up 
the stream at a rapid rate. The moon shone 
in her full brilliancy ; the stars glistened with 
a radiance which the thick air of the north con- 
ceals ; it was an evening that enchanted us 
with the superior glory of the southern heavens. 

On the following morning, two towering 
peaks appeared in the horizon. They were 
the pyramids of Ghizeh, rising like mountains, 
from the plain. The Rosetta arm soon joined 
the Nile arm, and whole rows of ships, in full 
sail, advanced upon it from Damietta. We 
found ourselves at the point of the Delta, 
which extends in luxuriant fruitfulness from 
this place, between both arms of the Nile. To 
the east of the Damietta arm, lay the best district 
in this part of Egypt — " the land of Goshen," 



CAIRO. 



39 



which Joseph gave to his father, and his 
father's house ; and where the family of Jacob 
grew, from seventy souls, to a population of 
more than two millions. But we soon per- 
ceived, at the foot of Mount Mukattem, the 
towers of the Pasha's citadel. Before it were 
innumerable minarets, rising majestically to- 
wards heaven, and fronted by woods of palm 
and fruit trees : and we landed at Bulac^ the 
port of Cairo. 



CHAPTER II. 
CAIRO. 

We soon mounted two spirited asses ; our 
baggage was laid upon camels, which, with 
loud howlings, raised themselves from the 
ground ; and we hastened along the broad high 
road, planted with fruit trees, to the gate of 
Cairo, formed on the left by a simple wall. It 
once contained on the right, a hall resting on 
pillars, in which the old men of the city sat in 
ancient times, to observe the in-comers and out- 
goers, and to hear the news of the day ; here, 
too, they administered justice. Through the 
gate, we passed into the great place Esbekiah, 
which, during the inundation of the Nile, was 
once a large sea, but has been more and more 
elevated, and is now adorned with beautiful 
pleasure-grounds. A row of fine houses, built 
in the European style, surrounds the place. 
The most conspicuous among them is the hotel 



40 



CAXKO. 



d' Orient j which offers the traveller all the com- 
forts of home. Founded, as El Cahira, by the 
Caliphs, at the end of the tenth century, the town 
was greatly enlarged under the Sultan Saladin ? 
who fixed his residence here. It is built, through- 
out, in the Saracenic style J the houses being 
tolerably high, with beautifully carved window- 
shutters, or balconies, which, owing to the ex* 
treme narrowness of the streets, often touch the 
opposite houses. Leaving the hotel, and taking 
up our abode with a functionary of the Pasha's, 
we soon became acquainted with the interior of 
the houses. The entrance from the street is 
through a small ante-chamber, into the dwelling 
of the porter, and through this into the great 
court. Crossing this, you enter a hall sup- 
ported by pillars, and surrounded by divans., 
upon which the master of the house sits to re- 
ceive his visitors. There is, generally, another 
apartment at the side, devoted to the same pur- 
pose. Narrow staircases lead to the upper 
floor, inhabited by the women, and accessible 
to no male stranger. High windows of lattice- 
work preclude every intrusive glance. Between 
the principal rooms is a large vacant space, the 
cover of which is opened in the summer 
towards the north, for the purpose of admitting 
the cool air. Every room has a low, but very 
wide divan, covered with carpets, and slightly 
elevated, serving as a place of repose by day 
and night. 

If we leave the house, and enter the narrow 
streets, we are obliged to avoid the numerous 
riders and beasts of burden, and the troops of 
unowned dogs that throng them^ and to mount 



CAIRO, 



41 



one of the beautifully saddled donkeys stand- 
ing at the corners of the streets, like our jlys. 
It is not considered proper to go on foot ; and 
persons of distinction ride on stately horses, 
while others content themselves with spirited 
asses, of course greatly superior to our animals 
of the same name. We ride through the 
Christian Quarter ; the gates of the streets^ 
which, for the sake of safety, are closed in the 
evening, and guarded by a watch, are now 
open, and we enter the bazaars, the only places 
of merchandize. They are, for the most part, 
divided into long covered halls, in which 
are shops, containing the different articles. 
Here are the bazaars for shoes ; there, for 
pipes ; here, for beds ; there, for rice, &c. The 
selection is very large ; and, inconvenient as 
it may appear to us, an article is nowhere to 
be procured, excepting in its place at the 
bazaar. But it is also the rendezvous of the 
natives and strangers, who are here mingled in 
motley groups. European costumes, Turks in 
their glittering ornaments, women in blue man- 
tles, with their faces concealed by long veils, 
from which their black eyes only look boldly 
forth ; others, of more distinction, riding on 
asses, and covered with broad, black silk man- 
tles, under which, the richly embroidered 
trousers and the yellow shoes are visible. But 
a runner clears the way ; an officer of the 
Pasha approaches on a noble horse, or splen- 
didly caparisoned mule. Many servants sur- 
round him, and one follows carrying the long 
pipe in a white case. Bedouins, known by 
their wild look, their white mantles, and large 



42 



CAIRO. 



travelling staves, drive their camels laden with 
stores ; and long trains of donkeys, bringing 
the Nile water in goats' skins, are following 
them, succeeded by merchants, galopping, with 
their agile asses, into the thickest of the throng. 
Loud noises are heard on all sides ; but sud- 
denly the street is as if deserted, and musicians 
approach, attracting attention by shrill music 
upon tambourins and pipes. They are followed 
by Egyptian magicians, who, almost naked, 
fight each other with swords ; and others play 
with serpents, twining them around their bodies. 
Then comes, upon a richly-caparisoned horse, a 
boy in military costume, who has lately gone 
through the preparatory rite of circumcision, 
and now presents himself to the people as a 
young Mussulman. After him, camels, M 7 ith 
different coloured hangings and shell orna- 
ments, bear the presents of the bride, in whose 
honour these festivities take place. Then come 
female friends and a girl, who, walking back- 
wards, fans away the flies from the approaching 
train. At last, under a canopy borne by four 
men, appears the bride, completely veiled, and 
led by two friends, while others follow her in 
long procession. Men present sweet drinks, 
and strew salt about to keep off envious looks. 

Similar processions enlivened our ride to the 
citadel, at the end of the town. On the de- 
clivity of Mount Mukattem (contained within 
a wide enclosure) are the magnificent castle 
of the Pasha ; the dwellings of his principal 
officers ; numerous workshops, and barracks ; 
tod a still unfinished mosque, built in the old 
Moorish style. It also encloses the well of 



CAIRO. 



43 



the Caliph Jussuf, which, 280 feet deep, and 
42 feet in circuit, is hewn in the rock, and can 
be descended by a convenient staircase. In 
the neighbourhood is the place where Mehemet 
Ali caused four hundred Mamelukes to be put 
to death, and thus secured his dominion over 
Egypt. But what most attracted us was the 
view from the terrace of the citadel. In the 
wide desert, appears a small strip of verdure, 
through the midst of which streams the majestic 
Nile ; and, in proportion to the barren and 
dead aspect of the yellow desert sands, is the 
refreshment of these green fields. On our left, 
were the pyramids of Ghizeh and Sakara ; and, 
immediately in front, the glorious town, with 
its palaces and gardens, conspicuous amid the 
dark walls, by the abundance of their flowers, 
and its slender minarets, from which the song 
of the Mueddin calls the noisy town to devo- 
tion every hour. 

The citadel is situated on the steep Mukattem, 
and is guarded by a second fortress. From the 
minaret of a ruined mosque, we obtained the 
most beautiful and extensive view of the 
country. At the foot of the mountain lie the 
graves of the Mameluke kings ; from the midst 
of which rise several mosques, now in ruins. 
The graves of the present inhabitants are found 
on the opposite side of the town, towards the 
desert : simple white monuments give them 
even a cheerful appearance. The lamentations 
of the women, who, particularly on Fridays fulfil 
their long-continued duties of mourners, are 
heard from a great distance. 

On the shore of the Nile, at the distance of 



44 



CAIRO. 



about a league from Cairo, lies Old Cairo, or 
Fostat ; once the capital city, and founded by 
Amru, at the conquest of Egypt. Five hundred 
years afterwards, it was set on fire, and its in- 
habitants repaired to Modern Cairo. Between 
the two towns, the way leads to a spot where 
the dam of the Nile is annually cut through. 
The river having reached its proper height, 
the water is allowed to pass its boundaries, 
and inundate the gardens and fields , thus giving 
promise of a plenteous harvest. This is the 
great holiday of the people, and is celebrated 
with much festivity. 

Among the miserable huts of Old Cairo, 
stand the ruins of the most ancient mosque in 
Egypt, that of Amru, whose halls rest on more 
than two hundred antique pillars. In the 
vicinity, is the Coptic cloister, erected over the 
grotto, said to have been the residence of 
Mary and Joseph, with the child, after their 
flight into Egypt. Above the town, near the 
Mukattem, appear the ruins of a Roman fortress, 
marking the situation of the Egyptian Babylon. 

Opposite Cairo, and divided from it by an 
arm of the Nile, is the beautiful island of 
Roda ; upon which Ibrahim Pasha has planted 
a fine garden. Here, in the beginning of 
December, we wandered among the richest 
flowers, and the most luxuriant roses. At the 
southern extremity of the island, is the Nile 
measurer ; a column, rising from the bed of the 
river, for the purpose of marking its rise and 
fall. 

But the loveliest of the environs of Cairo, 
are the gardens of Mehemet Ali, at Shubra. 



CAIRO. 



45 



One Sunday afternoon we rode to them, through 
the wide avenue, and were met in the way by 
Ibrahim Pasha, in an European carriage, drawn 
by four horses, and surrounded with numerous 
attendants. In his strongly marked features, 
one could read the history of the man who 
has secured his authority by singular energy, 
discipline, and severity ; and often even with 
barbarous cruelty. Traces of discontent in his 
countenance seemed to betray the dissatisfaction 
he felt at military inactivity. The garden of 
Shubra, laid out after the French model, 
unites all that the Flora of the East can pro- 
duce. Large woods of orange trees, bear- 
ing an abundance of fruit, surround the 
flower-beds ; while fountains diffuse a delight- 
ful coolness. It is the most beautiful garden 
of the East, planted so near to the desert 
sands. 

They have already commenced, by means of 
canals and water-wheels, to reclaim fruitful 
districts from the desert. We particularly 
remarked this in riding to Heliopolis. The 
way runs by the side of the desert, and presents 
to the observer, gardens and fields in various 
stages of cultivation. The Nile extends so far 
under the sand of the surface, that it is easy to 
dig wells, from which the water can be con- 
ducted, through small canals, among the fields. 
The mighty city of the sun is now only in- 
dicated by a wall of earth. In it, Potipherah, 
priest of On, once lived; whose daughter was 
given by Pharaoh, as a wife to Joseph. Here 
was Manetho, the high priest, whose history of 
Egypt, and its various dynasties, is still pre- 



46 



CAIRO. 



served to us ; and here, too, were the schools 
of wisdom for Egyptians and Greeks : in which 
the course of the stars was made a subject of 
special study. But where On's palace once 
stood, the ploughshare has now passed. Of the 
glorious temple of the sun, but one obelisk 
remains — a single remnant of the mighty past — 
for what God commanded to the fulfiUer of his 
purposes of judgment is accomplished. — "He 
shall break all the images of Beth-Shemeth, 
that is in the land of Egypt ; and the houses of 
the gods of the Egyptians shall he burn with 
fire."* (C The young men of Ay en (Heliopolis 
Mary.) and of Pi-beseth shall fall by the sword, 
and these cities shall go into captivity." f 

The greater the number of new impressions 
excited by Cairo now, the more is gratitude 
due to the European inhabitants of the town ; 
who have founded an Egyptian society, and 
have collected, by means of contributions, a 
considerable library, containing all the im- 
portant works respecting Egypt and the East. 
A second association has also been formed, which 
makes known the results of its investigations 
in a periodical publication. Interesting to us 
were portions of armour, which, according to 
the inscription, belonged to Shishak, king of 
Egypt, who conducted an expedition against 
Rehoboam, king of Judah. 

A centre of attraction, particularly for Ger- 
mans, is the house of Dr. Pruner, from Bavaria, 
who has long practised in Cairo, as a Physician ; 
and whose amicability and intimate acquaint- 
ance with the country, greatly contributed to 
the pleasure of our sojourn in the city. 

* Jer. xliii. 13. f Ezek. xxx. 17. 



CHAPTER III. 



MOHAMMEDANISM. 

A glance at the minarets of Cairo is sufficient 
to shew that its inhabitants profess the Moham- 
medan religion. In the beginning of the seventh 
century, when the christian church in the East 
had fallen into a lamentable state of decline, 
by the acknowledgment of the power of the 
gospel with the mouth, and the denial of it in 
the life, Mahomet came forth out of the stillness 
of Arabia, as the founder of a new religion. 

The revelation which he proclaimed, he pro- 
fessed to have received from God, in the religious 
book of the Koran. Its principal doctrine is 
contained in the confession, " There is but one 
God, and Mahomet is his prophet." In the 
beginning, God gave his law to men ; but they 
have falsified it, and he has, therefore, sent 
prophets (like Moses and Christ) to testify to 
the truth. The highest prophet (after whom 
none other will arise) is Mahomet, the Messen- 
ger of God. Much of the Koran is taken 
from the Bible, although many important altera- 
tions have been made, because Mahomet accused 
the Jews and Christians of interpolating the 
Scriptures. Thus, he represents Ishmael as 
the first-born son of Abraham; and refers all 
the promises of God, not to Isaac and the Jews, 
but to Ishmael, and the Arabians. It was 
Ishmael, too, whom Abraham offered on Mount 



48 



MOHAMMEDANISM. 



Moriah. As the Jews claim all the promises 
as their own, the Mussulmans recognise in 
them their greatest enemies, and deride and 
oppress them in every way. Christians are 
regarded in a more favourable light, and are 
tolerated by them. Abraham, the beloved of 
God, Moses, and Christ, are highly venerated ; 
but, like many Christians of the present day, 
who class the Saviour of the world with human 
teachers, they do not acknowledge Christ as the 
Son of God. As a means of obtaining the 
favour of the divine Being, an exact fulfilment 
of the law is enjoined ; together with a liberal 
distribution of alms, and an entire abstinence 
from wine, and intoxicating drinks. Habits of 
self-denial are to be acquired by a whole 
month's rigid fasting. Prayers are appointed 
for certain hours of the day ; and Friday is set 
apart as the holy day of the week. By a close 
observance of these commandments, a faithful 
Moslem hopes for the forgiveness of his sins, 
and admittance into Paradise. To death, in 
conflict with unbelievers, a higher degree of 
blessedness is awarded. Paradise, the place of 
the pious after death, is painted in the most 
sensual colours, and promises the fullest enjoy- 
ment of a voluptuous life. 

Such doctrines gave great moral power to 
the Mussulman faith, in an effeminate and 
degenerate age ; and the reward of death, in 
conflict, extended the dominion of the crescent 
with incredible rapidity. Even now, when its 
palmy days have long since passed away, it has 
still a hundred and fifty thousand adherents ; 
and, owing to the small population of the 



MOHAMMEDANISM. 



49 



countries over which it rules, its sway extends 
over a larger territory than the whole of Christ- 
endom. 

The service, and the regulations of the 
mosques, are very simple. A Christian can 
easily gain permission to enter them, by observ- 
ing the customary purifications, and taking off 
his shoes, or drawing his trousers over them. 
In the first place, you generally enter a large 
square court, surrounded with pillared halls. 
In the middle of it is a well, surmounted by a 
dome, which serves for the ablutions required 
before each prayer. On the side of the square 
which lies in the direction of Mecca, more rows 
of pillars usually lead from one great hall to 
another. In the last wall is a niche, the Mihrab, 
in the direction of Mecca, to which the faithful 
look in every prayer, just as the Jews turn 
towards Jerusalem. Near to the Mihrab is the 
pulpit, for the delivery of the sermon on Friday ; 
and the desk, for the reading of the Koran and 
the prayers. Either in the hall, before the 
Mihrab, or behind it, in a chapel built for the 
purpose, is the grave, over which, in accordance 
with the ancient christian custom, the mosque 
is constructed. 

The only interior decorations consist of sen- 
tences from the Koran, which, in all the variety 
of colours used in the Arabian writing, adorn 
the walls. The floor is covered with straw 
mats, for at the reading of the prayers so many 
changes of posture are required, and, like the 
bowing mentioned in the Old Testament, so 
great a bending of the knees, that the head 
often touches the ground. The service consists. 

E 



50 



MOHAMMEDANISM. 



of the reading, or of the chanting of prayers, and 
the Koran ; to which a sermon is added on 
Friday, and sometimes the singing of psalms. 
At the entrance of the mosque is a slender tower, 
or minaret, with a gallery above it, from which 
the mueddin calls out the hours, and causes his 
song of devotion to resound over the bustling 
streets. How should this custom shame the 
Christians, among whom the ringing of the bells 
— even the morning and evening chimes — is 
constantly becoming less frequent ! The mued- 
dins are generally blind ; since from the height 
of the minarets a full view is obtained of the 
roofs and courts of the houses, and even into 
the women's apartments, which must remain 
concealed from the eye of every stranger. 

The most holy place for the Mussulmans is 
the temple at Mecca, the Caala. It is an old 
sanctuary of the Arabians, and a great number 
of traditions are attached to it. The temple is 
most beautifully adorned ; and every year the 
Sultan and the Pasha of Egypt send thither new 
and valuable presents. A pilgrimage to Mecca 
is considered as a most praiseworthy deed. The 
day on which the ceremonials terminate with 
an offering in remembrance of the sacrifice of 
Ishmael, is the highest festival. It is called 
the great Bairam, and is everywhere com- 
memorated — generally by the slaying of a 
lamb. With still louder joy is the other great 
feast solemnized, at the conclusion of the fast- 
month Ramadan, in which it is forbidden to the 
faithful to eat, to drink, or to smoke by day ; 
all these refreshments being reserved for the 
fiight. The little Bairam, then, is the end of 



MOHAMMEDANISM. 



51 



this long fast, and is celebrated with transports 
of joy. The people dress themselves in new 
clothes ; friends and inferiors bring presents ; 
and, with palms in their hands, all repair to 
the burial-places. Besides these festivals, 
the birth-day of Mahomet and New-year's Day 
are both celebrated. The relation of these 
to the christian festivals is apparent. The 
Mahometans have not, like ourselves, a solar, 
but a lunar year ; so that the festivals do not 
always fall at the same period, but make a 
revolution through the whole year. 

"Women are not permitted to enter the 
mosques; and this circumstance shows that 
domestic life has made but small advancement. 
They seldom know how to pray, and still less 
frequently can they read or write ; so that their 
attention is quite confined to the care of their 
dress and their household affairs. 

As polygamy is allowed (four wives, at least, 
being allotted to each man), the house becomes 
a theatre for quarrels and jealousy. In no 
respect does the blessed influence of Christianity 
appear so prominently, as in the position it 
accords to woman. 

Education, too, is quite in its infancy. 
Schools are connected with the mosques, in 
which the instruction is confined to reading, 
writing, and committing the Koran to memory. 
The assembly of the school children presents, 
at the first glance, a somewhat ludicrous appear- 
ance. Their high respect for the name of God, 
demands a low bow every time it is read or 
uttered, and as it continually occurs in the 
Koran, which is almost the only book read, the 

e 2 



52 



MOHAMMEDANISM. 



children are instructed never to omit to make 
their reverence. The teacher, too, is in con- 
stant motion up and down ; in addition to 
which, every child reads as loud as possible ; 
and a school is distinguished by its noise at a 
long distance. The schoolmasters are generally 
blind, but nevertheless know how to fill their 
posts. With regard to cleanliness and order, 
there is much room for improvement. 

There is a higher school at Cairo, a species of 
academy, in connection with the mosque El- 
Azhar. In it, the most distinguished men, and 
the ablest expositors of the Koran, impart in- 
struction ; and here the irreversible decision is 
given respecting the interpretation of contested 
passages. In addition to the study of divinity, 
lectures on law are also delivered ; and this, too, 
is determined by the Koran. The scholars, 
whose number exceeds a thousand, are classified 
according to their nations, and live together. 
The twelve sheiks at the head of the institution 
are held in great reputation for their austerity 
and wisdom. 

Generally speaking, however, the Mussul- 
man faith is greatly on the decline in Egypt ; 
and Christians, and other Europeans are no 
longer inconvenienced by the ancient fanaticism 
of the Mahometans ; the opinions of the Pasha, 
and a universal indifference to their principles 
being very discernible. The mosques are 
empty at the times of prayer, and even on 
Friday ; and it is but seldom that any one is 
seen observing the hours of devotion. The old 
mosques are falling to decay, and no means are 
provided for their restoration ; no new ones are 



MOHAMMEDANISM. 



53 



founded ; and that begun by Mehemet Ali is 
not being completed. A wide field may soon 
be opened here for the extension of Chris- 
tianity. In the Turkish empire, apostacy is cer- 
tainly punished with deaths as also is any at- 
tempt to produce a change of religion : but how 
little this law is in force in Egypt, is proved by 
the fact of our host in Cairo having received 
baptism from an English missionary, and regu- 
larly attending the English chapel. He is not 
on this account discharged from the service of 
the Pasha, and right chivalrously does he 
silence the scorn of his comrades. His whole 
bearing reminded me of the Christianity of 
the knight in the middle ages. Such instances 
encourage us to hope great things. And 
if a Mahometan become a Christian, he is 
sure to enter the Protestant Church ; for his 
aversion to outward ceremonies, and his love of 
simple places of worship, and simple services, 
will never allow him to be satisfied with the 
Eastern or the Roman Catholic form. May 
our Protestant Church soon become aware of 
the great trust committed to her by God ; and 
not allowing herself to be prevented by the 
threatened penalty of death, proclaim the mes- 
sage of the gospel to the great multitude of 
unsatisfied Mahometans, who are longing for a 
better consolation. The Mussulman religion 
appears to be nothing more than a disfigure- 
ment of the Jewish — the deeper meaning of 
which is overlooked. The law was given to 
the J ews to lead them to the perception of sin, 
and to be a schoolmaster to bring them to 
Christ. Mahomet has made the fulfilment of 



54 



MOHAMMEDANISM. 



the law, the price of heaven. His is com- 
pletely a religion of righteousness by works, 
and exaltation of the power of human volition ; 
which must at last, lead deep and earnest 
seekers to the knowledge of their own imper- 
fection, and to the desire for a Redeemer. 
And thus, contrary to its design, Mohamme- 
danism will facilitate the way to the doctrines of 
the Cross. 

Let us now turn to the mosques of Cairo, 
which, more than three hundred in number, 
appear, in this place, in their purest form. 
That at Constantinople, once the church of 
St. Sophia, is the largest in the world, and has 
served, more or less, as a model for all the 
rest. The principal mosque in Damascus, was 
once the church of St. John; and in Cairo only, 
have they been originally constructed for their 
present purpose. The largest and oldest is the 
mosque Tulun or Taylun, built after the model 
of the Caaba at Mecca, but ruined by the 
French invasion. It consists of a large court, 
surrounded by pillared halls ; at the entrance is 
a single row of columns, on both sides is a 
double range, and by the Mihrab a quintuple. 
It was enclosed by a wall, on which stood four 
minarets. The large mosque, El Hakem, was 
constructed in the same manner, and shared 
the 4 destruction of the first. The finest is 
undoubtedly, that of Hassan, immediately at 
the foot of the citadel. The people are sa 
impressed with its beauty, that they relate, that 
after the completion of the mosque, the Sultan 
caused the hand of the architect to be cut off, 
that the work might remain alone of its kind. 



THE COPTIC CHURCH. 



55 



On each, of the four sides of the court is a large 
hall with a vaulted ceiling ; that facing the east 
is larger than the others, and contains a pulpit 
and reading-desk. In a large chapel behind 
it, under a dome, is the grave of the Sultan : it 
is adorned with a marble lining of many colours, 
but has also received much injury from the 
French. Benevolent foundations are connected 
with nearly every mosque, — either hospitals 
for the old and sick, or, at least, wells, with 
metal basins hanging from chains, for the re- 
freshment of the passers-by. Rich legacies fur- 
nish the means for sustaining these institutions, 
and securing a supply of water to the wells. 



CHAPTER IV. 

THE COPTIC CHURCH. 

Notwithstanding the oppression of the 
Mahometan lords of the land, a small band of 
the primitive christian inhabitants of Egypt, 
the Copts, still remains. In the dissensions of 
the first centuries, which had particular reference 
to the doctrine of the Trinity, and to the person 
of Christ, the christian Egyptians belonged to 
the party of the Monophy sites ; who not ac- 
cepting the opinion of the universal church, 
that there are two natures, the divine and the 
human, in the one person of the God-man, 
acknowledged only one nature. Since the 
beginning of the sixth century, when the doc- 



56 



THE COPTIC CHURCH. 



trine of the one nature was rejected with great 
decision and asperity, the Copts have been 
excluded as an heretical party from the Greek 
or Eastern Church. Being much oppressed by 
the Patriarch of Alexandria, they in the follow- 
ing century, facilitated the Mahometan conquest 
of the country ; prefering a union with the 
Mussulmans to an association with christian 
brethren, holding different opinions to their 
own. The protection of the Arabians soon 
changed into oppression and cruel domination, 
but their prejudice against christians remains 
unabated. Distrustful and suspicious, they 
have kept far aloof from all other churches. 
They are, therefore, more formal and benumbed 
than others, and the ignorance of the clergy 
and people is greater than in the other degene- 
rate churches of the East. Indeed, the Coptic 
Church has even several usages in common 
with the Mahometans, particularly when they 
accord with Old Testament practices. Thus, 
the rite of circumcision is observed by them, 
as well as the stated hours for prayer. Their 
service greatly resembles that of the Greek 
Church, only that instead of one Holy of Holies, 
they have three or four altar chambers, enclosed 
by doors and railings, in each of which service is 
alternately held. Before the Holy of Holies is 
the reading-desk for the Gospels ; a pulpit, if 
it be there, is never used. The language em- 
ployed is always the Coptic, although the 
people understand only the Arabic, and it is 
also unintelligible to the majority of the clergy. 
The exterior of the churches is very poor, and 
the clergy are also extremely indigent. The 



THE COPTIC CHURCH. 



57 



convents, of which there are several scattered 
about the country, are much impoverished, and 
often present to the traveller melancholy exhi- 
bitions of misery ; so that the entire Coptic 
Church offers a most saddening appearance. 
Its followers are distinguished by a black or 
dark-blue turban from the Mussulmans, who 
wear a white, or, if they are of the lineage of 
Mahomet, a green one. Their services are con- 
ducted almost only at night, or ending at sun- 
rise. Every conversation with a Copt draws 
forth the sad story of his misery: but now, 
for the first time for many centuries, an agi- 
tation for the better is evident, proceeding 
especially from the present Patriarch. The 
visit we paid him convinced us how deeply 
he was grieved at the position of the Church. 
That he is an exception to his predecessors, is 
evident, from the fact of his being the first for 
many years who, as head of the Abyssinian 
Church, has learned the Abyssinian language, 
in order to be able to exercise his care over 
the hitherto-forsaken Church without an inter- 
preter. 

The position of the Copts has deeply affected 
the English Church ; which, with a spirit of 
christian love, that has put all other churches 
to the blush, has sent two missionaries to Cairo, 
Dr.Lieder, from Erfurt, and Kruse, from Elber- 
felt. Lieder is at the head of a seminary in 
which young men are trained for the Coptic 
Church ; and from their want of any previous 
instruction, it is certainly a very arduous under- 
taking. The Patriarch is present at the exami- 
nations, and has promised afterwards to provide 



58 



THE COPTIC CHURCH. 



situations for the youths, which would other- 
wise be a difficult matter. He particularly 
wishes that a thorough knowledge of the Coptic 
language should be imparted. Dr. Lieder has 
instituted close investigations as well into the 
language as into the history of the Coptic 
Church, and it is to be hoped that they may 
soon be made known to the public. There is 
also a boy's school under his superintendence, 
in which a hundred children are instructed by 
Coptic teachers, while Mrs. Lieder conducts a 
well-attended girl's school. All these children 
remain the whole day in the spacious school- 
house, and take their meals there ; and the self- 
sacrificing love with which Lieder and his wife 
devote themselves to these various institutions, 
is much to be admired. 

The more catechetical duties are performed 
by the other missionary, Kruse, quite in the 
spirit of the Wupperthal.* He distributes 
tracts and Bibles in the Arabic language, and 
accompanies these with exhortations. He has 
appropriated a room in his house to christian 
books for general use ; and either Kruse or his 
assistant, an enlightened Copt, is always ready 
to explain them, or to converse with such as 
may desire it. A large number of Copts resort 
there to receive religious instruction. In addi- 
tion 4 to this, Kruse undertakes mission journeys 
to various parts of Egypt, where he distributes 
Bibles and Testaments, and seeks, by conversa- 
tion, to arouse the minds of the clergy and 

* Wupperthal, or Valley of the Wupper, one of the 
most beautiful and highly-favoured parts of Germany. 
— Trans, 



THE COPTIC CHURCH. 



59 



people. A collection of sermons in the Arabic 
language has also been made, for the use of the 
clergy. There are abundant evidences of the 
blessed results of such mission journeys. The 
Copts have schools in all parts, in which read- 
ing, writing, and arithmetic are taught ; for 
they are the scribes of Egypt, and when any 
thing is required to be read or reckoned, they, 
the former lords of the land, are applied to; 
and in this way they have preserved a species 
of power, notwithstanding their present state 
of degradation. The children are taught to 
read from the Bible, as the Mahometans are 
from the Koran, although the entire school 
often possessed but a single copy of one book 
of the Scriptures. Through Kruse's activity 
every school has now at least one Bible, and every 
child a part of the same ; so that the Word of 
God will be again made known through the 
children to the parents. 

Besides these numerous objects, the mission- 
aries hold a service in Arabic every Sunday 
afternoon in the seminary ; while, in the morn- 
ing, the English sojourners are assembled for 
worship in a beautiful chapel. The youths 
themselves form the choir, and lead the singing. 

Unhappily, there is no service in Cairo for 
Germans; and although both the missionaries 
are ready, from love to their neglected country- 
men, to hold pastoral interviews with them, 
they would be obliged, on account of the mul- 
tiplicity of their engagements, to circumscribe 
some of their operations, were they often to be 
called upon in this way. This circumstance is 
much to be regretted, as, besides the great 



60 



THE VOYAGE UP THE NILE. 



number of Protestant artificers here, as in Alex- 
andria, there are also several thousand German 
J ews, upon whom a service in their own lan- 
guage might produce the most beneficial results. 



CHAPTER V. 

THE VOYAGE UP THE NILE. 

We became more fully acquainted with the 
Coptic Church on our voyage up the Nile, 
which we soon commenced, as, owing to the 
height of the water and the extent of the in- 
undations, we were advised to delay our visit 
to the great pyramids. For the first time we 
now began to feel ourselves removed from 
European civilization. In the harbour of 
Bulac we hired a boat, agreeing to pay for 
the whole voyage to the second cataract, near 
Wadi-Halfa, the sum of about three thou- 
sand piastres, or two hundred thalers,* for 
which the captain engaged to provide us with 
eight sailors besides the steersman. The con- 
tract was made out in the house of a Copt, who 
had his writing materials ready in his girdle, 
and Hais, the captain, impressed his seal upon 
it. We found that the servant who was to fill 
the offices of interpreter and cook, had before 
been in the service of the missionary Kruse, 
whom he had accompanied up the Nile. Beds, 



* A thaler is three English shillings. — Trans. 



THE VOYAGE UP THE NILE. 61 



a table, and chairs, were then to be purchased, 
as well as a large chest of palm wood, in which 
we packed the kitchen utensils and provisions, 
consisting principally of coffee, tea, rice, mac- 
car oni, lentils, and fruits. 

On the afternoon of the 12th of December, 
we entered our boat. Besides a covered saloon, 
it contained two cabins ; one appropriated to 
our baggage, while in the other, two broad 
divans served as beds by night, and as sofas by 
day. Two high sails were fastened to the long 
mast, and from one of them waved our own 
black and white Prussian flag. The wind was 
still, and some of the men began to pull the 
boat ; we often proceeded through the sand ; 
or, being carried over by the force of the 
current to the opposite side, were sometimes 
driven back in a few minutes to a distance 
which it was not easy to recover. At the helm 
we often heard the lively song of the sailors, 
who were of various shades of colour, from the 
clearest brown to the darkest black. The 
others answered the song in a merry choir. 
The subject of it was generally a religious one, 
for prayer and expressions of devotion make up 
a great part of the life of an Arab. A breeze 
soon sprung up, and our large sails carried the 
boat swiftly through the rapid stream. 

"We had provided ourselves with books, to 
prepare us for the upper part of the Nile, but 
the multitude of new sights and new impres- 
sions prevented us from reading. Boats, an- 
nounced by the loud call of the sailors, were 
flying by us every moment ; a glance was cast 
at the flag, to see whether people of the country 



62 THE VOYAGE UP THE NILE. 

or acquaintances approached. The Rais, and 
the dragoman, greeted their comrades, and each 
communicated in a few words, the length and 
object of the voyage, and in a short time all 
sounds became incomprehensible : or they suc- 
ceeded, by means of fast sailing, to overtake a 
boat, with which a race was commenced, last- 
ing for some hours, or even the whole day. 

Looking towards the shore, a caravan is seen 
slowly advancing ; a dromedary hastens by ; it 
is the post of the Pasha, which regularly travels 
to Upper Egypt. Large droves of cattle are 
being driven towards Cairo, though scarcely 
the half arrive there. Palm groves in the dis- 
tance indicate a village or a town, built under 
their shade. The women fill their large stone 
pitchers with the water of the Nile, and, lightly 
placing them on their heads, bear them grace- 
fully to their homes, carefully concealing their 
faces from the passer-by. Again, the eye is 
attracted by an Egyptian, who, by means of 
water-wheels, in the sweat of his brow, " waters 
the land with his foot,"* or goads on the oxen 
and asses who draw the wheels. If the zeal of 
the steersmen or sailors flag, they must be urged 
forward by a small present of tobacco, or the 
promise of a fee, or backshisch. Suddenly the 
boat stops, for the constant variations of the 
watef, and the quantity of floating sand, often 
cause the best navigator to be at fault. The 
men spring into the water, and soon succeed 
in making the vessel free again. When Sunday 
came, we held a service, singing the same 



* Deut. ii. 10. 



THE VOYAGE UP THE NILE. 63 

choruses j and joining our prayers to those of 
the churches in the fatherland. The evening, 
with its glorious sunset, brought us some de- 
lightful hours. Short would be such a life in 
communion with a friend of the heart ; and 
this quiet intercourse had an additional charm 
for me, after the scenes of unusual activity 
in which I had been engaged during the past 
year. 

On the evening of the eighth day, the merry 
songs of the festival-eve announced the great 
Bairam. Our sailors would not rest the next 
morning, until, according to the custom of the 
country, we had bought a lamb, which was made 
ready for the evening. At noon we arrived at 
Manfalut ; and the loud sound of drum and fife 
proclaimed from far the festival-day. Going on 
shore, we found the people hurrying through 
the streets to the bazaar, where every one was 
buying something in honour of the feast. Into 
whatever house we looked, the inhabitants 
seemed busy in the preparation of the lamb. A 
woman came out from one habitation with a 
bason containing the blood of the slain lamb, 
which she first sprinkled with her hand on the 
door-posts, and then poured the remainder on 
the door; forcibly reminding us of the sprink- 
ling of the blood of the Passover lamb on 
Israel's departure from Egypt. But no farther 
connection could we trace between them. 

A favourable wind soon carried us onwards ; 
but towards evening it subsided, as our people 
said, to allow them time to celebrate their sin- 
gular festival on shore by a flickering fire. 
Unfortunately the calm continued, and obliged 



64 



THE VOYAGE UP THE NILE. 



us to keep Christmas in our boat. But on 
the holy evening, at the time when presents 
are being distributed at home, a valuable gift 
was also sent to us ; a strong north wind swelled 
our sails, and while the lustre of the starry sky 
supplied the place of the Christmas evening 
lamps, with palms in our hands we thought 
of the happy holiday under the parental roof, 
from which I was for the first time absent on 
this occasion. But we could rejoice in the 
still and blessed heart festival, in the same 
land where the Holy Child and his parents 
had found refuge soon after the nativity. 

The country began to give evidence of its 
southern climate. We saw, for the first time, 
the dome-palm, which, unlike the other species, 
does not rise in a naked stem, bearing a broad 
crown of leaves at the summit, but separates 
into two stems, which are clothed to the top 
with thick boughs. Pelicans wandered on the 
banks, surrounded by troops of wild geese. 
Eagles nestled in the mountains, and others 
soared boldly towards the skies ; while upon 
the shore of the Nile we saw whole rows of 
crocodiles, their dark, shapeless forms basking 
in the sun, until by a loud call or shot, they 
were awakened from their sleep, and concealed 
themselves under the w^ater. We soon after- 
wards arrived at Kenneb. Mr. Von Wagner, 
our consul at Cairo, from whom we had received 
much kindness, had provided us with a letter 
for the English agent there, Said Husseyn. 
We were received at the entrance of his house 
by a well-dressed black slave, who conducted 
us through a low door on the side of the court 



THEBES. 



65 



into a dimly-lighted apartment. Near the win- 
dow, resting upon a soft divan,was Said Husseyn, 
a noble-looking old Egyptian, with a flowing 
white beard. He insisted on placing me by his 
side, and offered me his long pipe, with a costly 
amber mouth-piece. The bowl was prudently 
placed upon a metallic plate, lest the ashes might 
injure the variegated carpet. More pipes were 
soon brought ; these were followed by lemonade ; 
and then, as a particular distinction, by dates 
from Mecca, of which we took a large number 
to our boat. When the hour for evening prayers 
arrived, they were performed by the sons, who 
turned to the east, regardless of the conversation 
of those present, who did not on their account 
cease talking. The old man inquired, in a 
childish manner, respecting several European 
customs, and was delighted when we were able 
to speak to him without the intervention of the 
dragoman. Stories concerning earlier travellers 
were related, and their letters of introduction, 
which he kept under his divan, were drawn 
forth and read to us by his son. It was our 
first really Oriental visit. 



CHAPTER VI. 

THEBES. 

At last, on the eighteenth day of the journey, 
on the Sunday after Christmas, we rested under 
the shadow of a sycamore tree. We had arrived 
at Gu nu, in the vi inity of Thebes, with its 



66 



THEBES. 



hundred gates. Mounting donkeys, we rode 
towards some graves we had remarked on the 
declivity of the mountain, in which the cham- 
bers destined for the dead are now inhabited 
by the living. The only prominent building 
we observed was a fortress towering over the 
whole valley. From the top of it waved the 
Prussian Eagle, and in joyous expectation we 
hastened to the spot. We found there some 
dear compatriots — Professor Lepsius, with a 
flowing beard, long white garments, and a red 
turban, my friend, the architect Erbkam, simi- 
larly attired, and three painters, the two Weiden- 
bachs and Georgy. The feelings with which 
this meeting impressed us in a foreign land, 
and amid such circumstances, are more easily 
imagined than described. The house was once 
the grave of a priest, and was made habitable 
by Wilkinson. An extensive prospect over the 
Theban valley was visible from the terrace. It 
is formed by the mountains of the desert, which 
surround it in a far extended circle. The Nile 
flows through the midst, and is bordered by 
green fields. On the other side, lie the enormous 
temples of Luxor and Karnac ; and on this side 
are the Memnon statues, Medinet Abou, the 
Memnonium, or Rhamesium, and numerous 
small temples ; on the mountains appear the 
graves of the priests, and in the valleys lie those 
of the kings. Altogether, they once formed the 
celebrated town of Thebes, the No of the Scrip- 
tures, the residence of the kings of Egypt in the 
time of the Prophets, and now the site of the 
most colossal ruins on the face of the earth. 
Under the guidance of our experienced 



THEBES. 



67 



friends, we devoted eight days to the inspection 
of these memorials of antiquity. The first thing 
visited by us at Karnac was a temple, exhibit- 
ing, in the simplest manner, the plan of the 
Egyptian temples. There is, first, a double row 
of sphinxes — figures which, by representing 
parts of men and animals, or the combination of 
various animals, were intended to symbolize 
certain attributes. Thus, the body of a lion and 
the head of a man, were designed to represent 
strength and wisdom. The cherubim of the 
Old Testament, covering the mercy-seat, as a 
symbol of the Divine Omnipotence, resembled 
these sphinxes. Leaving them, and passing 
through a door, between two pyramidal tower- 
like buildings, we enter the court, surrounded 
by pillared halls. At the end of this is the 
temple itself, with its dark Holy of Holies, near 
which are other chambers. Such is the general 
arrangement of these edifices, though the num- 
ber of courts and halls varies in proportion to 
their relative magnitude. 

Two rows of sphinxes beginning at the Nile, 
mark the way to the renowned temple of Karnac. 
They are succeeded by enormous gateways, or 
Pylons, towering above all the other buildings of 
the valley. In the broad court is a range of high 
pillars (of which only one remains), extending 
to the second gateway ; before this, two colossal 
statues stand as guardians. We next entered 
the great hall, surrounded by a hundred and 
thirty-three pillars, which support the roof. In 
the midst of this giant hall is a row of twelve 
pillars, the largest in Egypt. The masses of 
rock, once forming the roof, are now fallen 

t 2 



68 



THEBES. 



down, and cover the floor. Passing through 
more halls, containing large obelisks, we arrived, 
after the fourth gateway, at the holiest of all, 
which is built of granite. A larger hall, resting 
on pillars, with several small and richly-adorned 
chambers, concludes the mass of the building. 
The numerous halls and gateways are the small 
plans executed by later rulers, which their pre- 
decessors intended to surpass in grandeur. 
The exploits of the founders are represented in 
sculpture and hieroglyphics on the sides of 
the walls. The first large court was built by 
Shishak, and represents him on his expedition 
against Rehoboam. The king stands in colossal 
magnitude before the idol, who in a sitting 
posture receives his gifts. The monarch points 
to a hundred and thirty-six towns, which are 
represented by prisoners with pointed Asiatic 
beards ; they wear breastplates, upon which the 
names of the towns are written. Among these, 
are many alluding to the expedition to the Holy 
Land ; and upon one of them we read, " King 
of Judah, or Kingdom of Judah," referring to 
the capture of Jerusalem, and confirming the 
statements of Scripture. 

Leaving Karnac, we proceeded through a row 
of sphinxes to the Typhonium — the place of 
wicked spirits. Through a door, before which 
lies' the terrible form of a Typhon, you enter a 
place enclosed by high walls, in which are some 
hundreds of sphinxes. We noticed several 
representations of women's forms wdth lion's 
heads, or lion's bodies with men's or ram's 
heads, &c. Here offerings are presented to 
propitiate the wicked spirits. 



THEBES. 



69 



Following the long rows of sphinxes, we ar- 
rived in about half-an-hour at Luxor ; the present 
inhabitants have built in the halls of the temple, so 
that it is difficult to trace the original plan. From 
the second gateway is a row of fourteen colossal 
pillars, more than thirty feet in circumference, 
and presenting a magnificent aspect from the 
opposite shore. The walls are richly adorned 
with sculpture. We particularly noticed a re- 
presentation of a man leading four fat cows, 
which ascend from the Nile, the source of all 
fruitfulness and harvest blessings. It reminded 
us of Pharaoh's dream. Turning back to the 
opposite shore, we visited the two temples and 
the palace of Medinet Abou. One of the 
temples is connected with a palace, generally 
called the Palace of the Princesses, because the 
king is there represented as playing with his 
daughters. In the larger temple, magnificent 
halls are connected with the second court. The 
king Khamses is there depicted offering sacrifices 
and celebrating victories ; these representations 
have reached a high degree of perfection, and 
give a lively idea of the scenes they are intended 
to exhibit. 

The greatest triumph of art, however, is 
exhibited in the much-talked-of Memnonium, 
the plan of which has now been fully discovered 
by Erbkam. In the first court lie the ruins 
of the colossal granite statue of Ehamses the 
Great. It measures twenty-one feet from shoul- 
der to shoulder, and though in a sitting posture 
is probably thirty -five feet high. Behind the 
second hall is an apartment, containing about 
thirty very fine and highly-finished pillars, sup- 



70 



THEBES. 



porting the roof, the ground of which, is blue, 
ornamented with gold stars. In this room the 
expedition had shortly before celebrated the 
birth-day of our king. 

Not far removed, but nearer the Nile, tower 
the Memnon statues, two youths, in a sitting 
attitude, about sixty feet high. At the time of 
the inundation they appear as if rising from a 
large sea, and present the only remains of an 
earlier temple. One bears a number of in- 
scriptions of the Grecian and Roman time 3 with 
the names of those who heard st the heavenly 
voice of Memnon." At the dawn of day, the 
stone expanded and emitted sounds, feeble at 
first, but afterwards increasing in strength. 
Since the mutilation of the statue the music is 
no longer heard. 

The temples and palaces of Thebes, which 
we have thus briefly described, are the mightiest 
specimens of human art. They were principally 
built by Ehamses the Great, who was contem- 
porary with Moses ; the time when, according 
to the Scriptures, Egypt had reached the zenith 
of its might and glory. The temples, the silent 
witnesses to this fact, have served as models to 
all succeeding nations. Thus, when Solomon 
built a temple to the true God on Mount Moriah, 
€€ he made affinity with Pharaoh, king of Egypt, 
and took Pharaoh's daughter, and brought her 
unto the city of David, until he had made an 
end of building his own house, and the house 
of the Lord."* And if we examine the plan of 
Solomon's temple, we find, in many respects, a 



* I Kings iii. 1. 



THEBES. 



71 



resemblance between it and those of Egypt. 
But the enormous ruins covering the plains of 
Thebes show how the greatest power of man 
must bow before the Almighty God. The Lord's 
threatening is accomplished. " I will execute 
judgments in No, and I will cut off the multitude 
in No, and No shall be rent asunder."* And 
again — " I will punish the multitude of No, 
and Pharaoh, and Egypt, with their gods and 
their kings." f And the fulfilment of this pro- 
phecy was seen by Nahum — " She was carried 
away ; she went into captivity ; her young chil- 
dren also were dashed in pieces at the top of all 
the streets : and they cast lots for her honourable 
men, and all her great men were bound in 
chains. "J 

Thebes appears especially as a field of the 
dead from the western mountain cliff, which 
contains the grave tower. Innumerable holes in 
the mountain indicate from a distance the en- 
trances to the graves ; they are, for the most 
part, graves of priests, or of some rich private 
persons. The most simple consists of an ante- 
chamber, resting on pillars, and leading to a long 
passage, at the end of which is the sarcophagus ; 
the walls are adorned with sculpture or painting, 
depicting the actions or circumstances of the 
deceased. The most interesting to us was the 
grave of an overseer of the royal buildings, in 
which the different works executed under his su- 
perintendence are depicted. Obelisks, sphinxes, 
and palaces, are being constructed, and the pre- 
paratory works, both large and small, are shewn. 

* Ezek. xxx. 14, 16. f Jer. xlvi. 25. % Nahum hi. 10. 



THEBES. 



Bricks are being made by white Asiatic slaves, 
who perform the abject work, while the building 
is being executed by red Egyptians. Some are 
bringing the clay ; others mould it, while others 
again carry away the finished stones. A task- 
master, with a raised staff, stands threateningly 
at the side. According to the inscription, the 
grave was completed at the time of Moses, and 
Jewish features are discernible in the Asiatics. 
We find in the days of the Pharaohs that " the 
lives of the children of Israel were made bitter 
with hard bondage, in mortar, and in brick, 
and in all manner of service in the field ; all 
their service wherein they made them serve was 
with rigour."* 

The graves of the queens in the vicinity are 
of prodigious size ; and most awful is the valley, 
Babel-Moluck, the graves of the kings. In 
dreadful solitude rises the yellowish mountain ; 
not a trace of vegetation is to be seen ; few of 
the sun's rays ever reach the narrow valley ; the 
noise of jackalls and hyenas is heard, and vul- 
tures hover around the place of the dead. Here 
rest the Pharaohs. Each king began his reign 
with the preparation of his grave ; and the longer 
it. continued the more numerous were the pas- 
sages and halls hewn out of the rock. At his 
death, the sarcophagus was placed in the most 
recently-completed apartment ; the rest remained 
unfinished. The largest and most magnificent 
grave is that opened by Belzoni. Through a 
narrow door you descend by a staircase into a 
passage, leading to a richly-ornamented pillared 



* Exodus i. 14. 



THEBES. 



73 



hall. Among the representations on the wall., 
are the four races of men who served the kings 
of Egypt. The Egyptians are in their own 
colour, red ; the Negroes, black ; the Asiatics 
and Europeans, yellow, as are the Egyptian 
women, on account of their clear complexions. 
More staircases and passages lead through nu- 
merous apartments into the one last completed, 
a vaulted hall resting on four pillars, and in this 
the sarcophagus stood * The hall was gilded., 
and its lustre still commands our admiration. 
These graves prove that the Grecian descriptions 
of the wonders of Egypt, which were considered 
so exaggerated, have scarcely reached the truth. 
The still chambers have remained closed from 
the destroying hand of man four thousand years. 
Bats inhabit them; and the adventurous stranger 
is so surrounded by these swarming creatures,, 
that his lamp is not ^infrequently extinguished, 
and he is in danger either of losing his way in 
the subterranean labyrinth, or becoming the 

* "This sarcophagus," says Belzoni, "is of the finest 
Oriental alabaster, nine feet five inches long, and 
three feet seven inches wide. The thickness is only 
two inches, and it is transparent when a light is placed 
in the inside of it. It is minutely sculptured within 
and without with several hundred figures, which do not 
exceed two inches in height, and represent, as I suppose, 
the whole of the funeral procession and ceremonies 
relating to the deceased. I cannot give an adequate 
idea of this beautiful and invaluable piece of antiquity ; 
and can only say, that nothing has been brought into 
Europe from Egypt that can bs compared with it. The 
cover was not there ; it had been taken out, and broken 
into several pieces, which we found in digging before 
the first entrance." — Belzoni' s Narrative of Operations, 
Vol. I. p. 365.— Trans. 



74 



THEBES. 



prey of death, in one of the yawning depths. 
But whoever examines these mysterious relics of 
antiquity finds a perfection of art, of which, 
before, he could have had no idea ; and even the 
smallest conveniences of household life are ex- 
hibited with a neatness that our advanced age 
can scarcely surpass. Until the last few years, 
every scoffer thought he had a right to laugh at 
the information afforded by the Scriptures re- 
specting this period, as a ridiculous fable, since 
the certain histories of the Greeks begin a thou- 
sand years later. How is their derision fallen 
upon themselves ! How must these discoveries 
strengthen our conviction, that all contemptuous 
objections to the word of God lead in this way 
to their own condemnation ! 

It was Sylvester Evening.* From the gate- 
ways of the Memnonium we looked upon the 
palaces and the graves of Thebes, gilded by the 
last rays of the setting sun. Hastening into the 
grave, among our hospitable friends, we were 
cheered by home conversation. At the last hour 
of the year, shots were fired from .the balcony 
of the house, and on the mountain above us 
burned a clear fire, illuminating the dark ruins. 
After midnight we returned to the great stream. 
Many open graves in the field of the dead, 
threatened to gather us to the dead, and with 
the life's year to end our life too. But the still, 
peaceful moon lighted us safely home — the moon 
that had once beheld those ruins in their glory, 
directing the mind to the One, who, amid all the 
changes of earth, remains eternally the same. 



* The last evening of the year. — Tram. 



NUBIA. 



75 



We began the new year with, worship. Over 
the graves of the kings we raised our hearts to the 
Lord in the same prayers which I had read a year 
before in our cathedral, in the presence of the 
king and the royal house, and which were now 
again being used by the same beloved congre- 
gation. Strengthened by the sight of the ruins, 
which testify to the fulfilment of Divine pro- 
phecy, and the truth of the word of God, we 
united in the new-year's hymn, beginning 
a Help, Lord Jesus/' &c. 



CHAPTER VII. 



NUBIA. 



Oun sails were soon spread, and a favourable 
wind carried us farther up the Nile. On the 
evening of the 6th of January, granite rocks 
appeared in the distance ; the stream took a 
sudden turn, and we arrived at Assuan, the 
Old Syene, situated upon a hill. We then 
visited the scribe of the place, Muallem Chalil, 
to whom the missionary Kruse had charged us 
with greetings. He was on a divan in a small 
room, and surrounded by friends, while a row 
of slaves stood by the door. It was the second 
Christmas festival for the Eastern Church ; and 
we had scarcely expressed our joy on account of 
it, when, upon some questions being asked, he 



76 



NUBIA. 



began, with streaming eyes, to relate the story 
of Christ's birth in Bethlehem ; and we ex- 
pressed our wish that his love to the Lord 
might constantly increase in fervour. His wil- 
lingness to bear the shame of wearing the black 
turban is a proof that he is not without love to 
Christ. He spoke with much gratitude of the 
visit of the missionary Kruse, and the books he 
had received ; adding, that from love to God's 
word he had himself transcribed the letters of 
the apostles. He then informed us that there 
were about forty christian families resident in 
Assuan, but that they were without church or 
pastor, and were, therefore, obliged to attend 
the church at Edfu, some leagues distant. 
Some of the Christians were preparing for the 
pilgrimage to Jerusalem, and were numbering 
the intervening days to their departure, or to 
Easter. The Copts consider this journey to 
J erusalem as a duty, as the Mahometans do the 
pilgrimage to Mecca ; but the majority allow its 
fulfilment to be prevented by family or civil 
engagements. 

Assuan,an Egyptian fortress, and the last town 
before reaching the frontiers of Nubia, or Ethio- 
pia, formerly lay near the present town, upon a 
hill which is still covered with considerable ruins. 
Not far distant, are the beautiful granite moun- 
tains forming the boundary between Nubia and 
Egypt ; the costly stones that adorn Egypt with 
its monuments were brought from hence. Like 
basalt, the granite almost forms natural obelisks ; 
and the places are still visible from which 
obelisks were once removed to temples and 
palaces. One, nearly sixty feet high, lay almost 



NUBIA. 



77 



finished, excepting that one of the four sides 
was still unreleased, and power and courage 
were wanting to the following generations to 
complete the work of their forefathers. 

Opposite Assuan lies the pleasant isle of 
Elephanta, with its rich gardens and shadowy 
palm trees ; the destroying spirit of the latter 
day has robbed it of nearly all its monuments. 

One of the most difficult portions of the Nile 
now lay before us ; our boat was to be brought 
through the cataracts. These rapids are pro- 
duced by a large number of dark granite rocks, 
through w^hich the powerful stream has made a 
passage. Travellers proceed under the guidance 
of the Cataract-Rais, who rules the island in a 
patriarchal manner, and whose right alone it is 
to conduct boats past the two most dangerous 
parts. Through these the boat is drawn by 
means of cords. About two hundred men are 
stationed upon the different rocks, holding 
ropes, which are fastened to the stern and fore- 
part of the vessel ; they give a united pull, and 
the weak boat is either shattered to atoms by 
the furious flood, or, by skilful guidance, safely 
reaches the most charming spot in Egypt. 

Philse, the last of the islands formed by the first 
cataract, is entirely occupied by a temple, the 
whole length of which is visible to the traveller 
from Assuan, and rises from amidst masses of 
rock in majestic stillness. From the direction of 
Nubia a pillared hall leads to the first gateway ; 
the succeeding court has, on the left, a remarkable 
little temple, consecrated to the birth of Horus. 
The birth of Horus, son of the god Osiris and of 
Isis, who were both particularly reverenced, in- 



78 



NUBIA, 



dicates, in the language of Egyptian mysteries, 
their longing for a Redeemer, the Son of God, 
who they hoped would be the bringer of wisdom 
and perfect happiness to his own people. His 
birth is here represented in the same way in which 
christian art depicts Mary with the child Jesus. 
Over both is a falcon, surrounded with lilies, as 
with a halo, to indicate the wisdom that was now 
revealed. The halls, and the dark chambers of 
the great temple, are distinguished for the ex- 
cellent preservation of their brilliant colours. 
We ascended the first gateway ; beneath us lay 
the glorious temple, and around it were the 
yellow sands of the desert. The dark granite 
rocks presented a reddish appearance, and the 
silver waters of the Nile flowed between them, 
bordered by green meadows and high palm- 
trees. In the distance was heard the thunder- 
ing roar of the cataracts; and, on the opposite 
shore, the monotonous rattling of the sakieh, or 
Nubian water-wheel. 

Before Philse the rocks form a gateway in 
the stream, and through this we entered Nubia, 
the ancient Ethiopia. The face of nature was 
changed ; the mountains approached almost 
close to the river, allowing only a small slip of 
land to border the fruitful stream ; but the 
green of this was the freshest we had seen in 
Egypt, and the banks often rose to a consider- 
able height. 

The ^inhabitants are of a fine black colour ; 
they are almost unclothed, excepting a light 
apron. The hair of the women hangs in long 
tails, and, by the use of a large quantity of oil, is 
thickened to a firm covering for the head : a good 



NUBIA. 



79 



garment — not so ragged as that of the Egyptian 
fellahs — protects them from the winter's cool- 
ness, which certainly appeared to us oppressive 
heat. Their eyes are bright, indicating freedom 
and independence, in strong contrast to the 
appearance of the enslaved Egyptians. The 
Nubians were once professors of Christianity, 
" the eunuch of great authority under Candace, 
queen of the Ethiopians, 5 ' who was baptized by 
Philip, being the first-fruits of this people. In 
the seventh century, at the conquest of Egypt by 
the Arabians, Nubia became a place of refuge 
for the Christians. But since four hundred 
years, the churches have been destroyed ; and if 
the Nubians have built no mosques, and Ma- 
hometan piety is strange to them, the crescent 
dominates notwithstanding, for there is not a 
single Christian in the whole country. I had 
never been in such a land. How little is the 
zeal of Christians commensurate with the great 
command — u Go ye into all the world, and 
preach the gospel to every nation!" Among 
this powerful people there is not a single 
missionary. 

We soon passed the Tropic of Cancer, and the 
heat, the full bloom of the trees, and the unusual 
splendour of the palms, made us sensible that 
we had left the temperate for the torrid zone. 
A favourable north wind, moderating the warm 
air of the southern climate, brought us, in eight 
days, to the second cataract at Wadi-Halfa, near 
which is a long slip of green land, adorned 
with palm trees. On bad donkeys, with plain 
wooden saddles, we rode on the opposite shore 
through the dark yellow sand of the desert. At 



80 



NUBIA. 



the side lay the skeletons and bones of fallen 
camels. Bedouins hurried past us on fleet dro- 
medaries; and, across some slight elevations, we 
reached a steep rock, rising nearly three hun- 
dred feet immediately above the river. Moun- 
tains and plains are visible among the desert 
sands beyond. The glorious silver stream flows 
placidly along, but its even course is suddenly 
arrested by three hundred and fifty-three little 
islands among which it rushes, roaring in anger 
at these impediments to its course. The sun 
declined, gilding the distant mountains of the 
south, of which we never obtained a nearer view. 
A stillness reigned, which only the desert knows. 
Small fires and lights gleamed through the 
shadowy darkness of the island from the huts 
of the few inhabitants. The full moon shone in 
all her radiance, and the southern stars glittered 
with wondrous brilliancy. The stream at our 
feet flowed now in wider, now in narrower 
channels, through the frowning rocks ; the silver 
foam of the waves breaking against them; and 
awful, amid the stillness of the night, was the 
thunder of their roaring. With subdued and 
thankful feelings we left the farthest southern 
points of our excursion, and turned, full of 
longings, to the north. 

We now descended the stream at a more rapid 
rate ;*the masts and sails were taken down, and 
rowing benches substituted. The sailors wielded 
the oars with practised hands, and their lively 
song, taken up in responding strains by the Rais, 
accelerated their motions, so that by the after- 
noon we reached Abu Simbel, or Ipsambul, 
whose rocky temple is worthy to stand by the 



NUBIA. 



81 



monuments of Thebes. We soon turned from 
the smaller to the larger temple, the entrance to 
which is guarded by four colossal statues, hewn 
out of the rock. They are sitting figures of 
Rhamses the Great, and are sixty feet high ; one 
of them is almost choked up with sand. We 
waded up to the head, and both found a com- 
fortable seat in the ear of the colossus. For the 
footstool, supporting the feet of the king, chained 
enemies, Negroes, and Asiatics are represented, 
whom he has made his footstool. Between the 
two middle statues is the entrance to the temple, 
which, a hundred and forty-five feet long, and 
of a still greater width, conceals fourteen apart- 
ments in the rock. In the great ante-chamber 
the walls are adorned with representations of the 
king receiving the sword from the gods. With 
this he conquers and slays his foes, and after- 
wards comes in his chariot in triumph to the 
gods, to whom he offers the prisoners. Three 
gods were considered by the Egyptians as the 
expression of the Deity. Every neighbourhood 
had these three — the Triade. Opposite the en- 
trance on the southern side is the Triade of the 
Cataracts ; on the northern, towards Egypt, the 
Triade of Egypt, to whom the king brings an 
offering. As king of both countries he unites 
both the Triades. In the second hall he brings 
offerings to Osiris. Osiris bears the breast-plate, 
the symbol of light and justice, as God com- 
manded Moses to make the breast-plate of judg- 
ment for the high priest. In the Holy of Holies, 
in the midst of the three gods, is the king as the 
fourth, and before him stands a simple stone 
altar.- This king is the same who built the 

G 



82 



NUBIA. 



Memnonium at Thebes, and the giant hall at 
Karnac. The same who so unmercifully op- 
pressed Israel ; but his pride in attempting to 
make himself equal to God was only the pre- 
cursor of his fall. 

From Abu Simbel to Assuan the Nile winds 
between low sand-stone mountains, which, in the 
form of isolated pyramidical rocks, perhaps gave 
the Egyptians the idea of building the pyra- 
mids. On the right side are pleasant gardens 
and plantations ; on the left, which is less beau- 
tiful, is an almost uninterrupted row of temples. 
A long series of rocks soon rose from the stream 
on the right side, in which vaults were dug. 
Upon an eminence lay the fortress of Ibrim, 
where the sultan Saladin attacked the Christians ; 
burnt their cathedral consecrated to the Virgin ; 
and, according to the tradition of the Arabians, 
carried seven hundred thousand into captivity. 

Near Ibrim is the commencement of a palm 
wood, several miles in extent ; under its shade 
are many groups of houses and lovely gardens. 
We next arrived at the capital of the country — 
Derr, in which is the only mosque in Nubia. 
At Sebua ruined gateways mark the entrance to 
the inner rock chambers. The ornamented 
temple of Dakke, of the time of the Ptolemies, 
is in excellent preservation ; as is that of Dandur, 
under the Tropic of Cancer, of the Roman age. 
At last, granite cliffs appeared in the mountains 
by the shore ; black rocks closed up the stream ; 
and, among the rich palm groves on the left, 
appeared the town of Kalabsche. Through nar- 
row streets, between cottages with small courts, 
in which dromedaries, cows, asses, and men, all 



NUBIA. 



83 



lived together, we hastened to the ruins of the 
great temple, which was built of free -stone at 
the time of the Romans. We were, however, 
more interested in a small temple of Ehamses 
the Great, standing in perfect solitude upon a 
neighbouring hill, with the prospect of the 
desert, of the granite rocks, and of the stream 
hurrying through them. It now consists only 
of the Holy of Holies, with an ante-chamber, 
resting upon two pillars, and a fore-court ; but 
the sculpture is particularly beautiful. Ethio- 
pians and Asiatics are bringing the king their 
gifts. In the battle scene the king is in his 
chariot, with the reins of the horses girded 
about his body, while the charioteer has retired. 
The enemy has fallen, and a bird brings from 
God the sword with which he kills him. In 
the Holy of Holies Rhamses is represented as 
a boy, being supported by the goddess Isis. 

On returning, we gave the Nubian, who had 
been our guide, a small backshish. About 
twenty Nubians, who had accompanied us against 
our will, desired to share it with him ; on his 
refusal they assaulted him with spears and 
knives, and the Nubian swam for refuge, 
with a large wound in his arm, to our boat, 
which had already set out. We passed among 
rocks that interrupt the course of the Nile ; and, 
after a voyage of fourteen days, reached the in- 
comparable Philae. Friendly shots were fired 
from the shore ; our two compatriots from 
Frankfort awaited us on the island, and our 
thundering greeting echoed and re-echoed among 
the mountains. We soon approached the Cata- 
racts, and now remained in the boat ; while, 

G 2 



84 



FROM ASSTIAN TO CAIRO. 



under the skilful guidance of the Rais of the 
Cataracts, the foaming waves carried us, with 
furious rapidity, through the shining granite 
rocks, to Assuan. 



CHAPTER VIII. 

FROM ASSUAN TO CAIRO. 

On the same evening, the 22nd of January, we 
left Assuan ; and, in descending the stream, we 
could be steered, if not rowed the whole of the 
night, we arrived the next morning at the ruins 
of the temple at Kom-Ombos. The valley of 
the Nile soon became narrower, forming the pass 
of Dschebel-Selseleh, the sand-stone mountain 
that supplied the enormous stones for the giant 
buildings of Egypt. Above some of the quarries 
are grottos, resembling chapels ; they are adorned 
with representations of the gods and kings. 
After this wild and awful pass, in which gusts 
of wind often impede navigation, the valley 
widens, and soon gateways, like church towers, 
appear stretching towards heaven. They form 
the entrance to the great temple of Edfu. The 
holiest of all is completely covered with the 
dwellings of the Fellahs, though Mehemet Ali 
has just given orders for the temples to be dug 
out and cleaned. From it, we went to the Coptic 
school. In a small and dirty mud hut squatted 
about sixteen ragged boys, who were learning 



FHOM ASSTJAN TO CAIRO. 



85 



to read from the Bibles given them by Kruse. 
I examined some of them, and they really read 
with great fluency. But when I asked them 
some questions about the festival of Christmas, 
which they had recently celebrated, and the 
Epiphany; about the birth of Christ, and the 
history of his death, they could tell me nothing ; 
and the schoolmaster excused their ignorance by 
saying that the elder boys were absent. He 
seemed to consider it his duty to instruct them 
merely in reading and writing. 

Towards evening we arrived at El Kab, or 
Eilethia. Among the beautiful rocky graves, 
we found one, the walls of which were adorned 
with a representation of agriculture. There is 
first the operation of ploughing, then the sowing 
of the seed — after that, the reaping of the corn, 
which appears in various stages of growth. 
Oxen, whose mouths are not muzzled, thresh it 
upon paved floors by their heavy tread, as we had 
seen in the morning at Edfu; and lastly, the corn 
is measured and emptied out. Boats with sails, 
cabins, and benches for oars, like our own, are 
going up the Nile. Another represents fishing 
and the preparation of the fish by the cook. 
Wine is being pressed, and the meal is set before 
the deceased and his wife. Lastly, in the back 
ground, the departed appears before the two and 
forty judges of the dead, and receives sentence 
upon his course of life with severe justice. 

At Esne we lingered awhile in the pillared 
halls of a temple of the Roman time. The little 
town has two Coptic churches, each with a 
KummuSj as superintendent. Both the churches 
are very poor ; but one of them, at least, was 



88 



FROM ASSUAN TO CAIRO. 



tolerably clean, though the clergy live in the 
bitterest poverty. In the schools we visited we 
heard most edifying hymns in the Arabic and 
Coptic languages. All our questions about 
Christ remained unanswered, as the elder boys 
were assisting, by their songs, the festivities of 
a wedding. One of them, who arrived before 
our departure, and who was intended for a clergy- 
man, was able to sustain a common conversation. 

The second visit to the colossal ruins of 
Thebes enabled us to estimate them still more 
than the first had done. In the dear circle of 
our friends we felt anew how refreshing is home 
intercourse on a foreign shore. We celebrated 
a service of thanksgiving and prayer, that we 
might afterwards be able in our own land to look 
back upon the days spent at Thebes, with praise 
and gratitude. 

The temple of Dendera, opposite Kenneh, 
next arrested our attention : it is the most per- 
fect monument of Egyptian art in the time of 
the Romans. Syut, the capital of Upper Egypt, 
soon appeared in the midst of its fresh green 
fields and lovely palaces, and a refreshing spring 
breeze blew over the cheerful valley. In the 
Latin convent was the single monk of the 
country ; but we were glad to find the beautiful 
church cleaner than any we had yet seen on the 
Nile. The monk's sphere of exertion is of course 
very unimportant. The catacombs of Beni 
Hassan enchained us long. In one grave, im- 
migrants are represented being led before an 
officer of the king. Two appear in front, leading 
a gazelle and the wild goat ; others follow with 
bows and clubs, then comes a donkey, upon 



FROM ASSUAN TO CAIRO. 



87 



which, two children are riding in a basket, and 
behind them a boy with four women. A donkey- 
carries the goods of the family, while a man 
with a bow and club, and another with a lyre, 
which he strikes with the bow, conclude the 
scene. An immigration reminding us of Jacob's 
entrance into the Egyptian corn chambers. 

The monuments of antiquity now became less 
frequent, because the hand of destruction was 
nearer, and the materials of many temples had 
been appropriated to the erection of modern 
edifices. From Benisueff we turned landwards 
to examine the valley of Fayum. We rode 
through several fields, and often saw the haunts 
of Bedouins, who were come out of the wilder- 
ness with their camels and their flocks, to take 
the necessary supply of forage from a fixed tract. 
The Israelites were once great sufferers at the 
harvest time from the incursions of such wild 
hordes, the Midianites or Amalekites, but now 
the Bedouins purchase their provisions. A ra- 
vine leads from the valley of the Nile into the 
great valley of Fayum ; while a tract of about 
half a league in extent divides the desert sands. 
Through each ravine flows the Bahr Jussuf, the 
great canal of Jussuf, through which the water 
of the Nile once streamed into the celebrated 
Lake Mceris. This was excavated by the hand 
of man, and by means of innumerable canals 
irrigated and fructified the land. How far it 
may have been connected with the present lake, 
Birket-el-Korn, is a disputed question. The 
whole scene reminded us of Joseph, the son of 
Jacob, who, in the same manner, converted the 
land of Egypt into a garden of God. 



88 



FROM ASSTJAN TO CAIRO. 



At the entrance of the Bahr Jussuf, in the 
Fayum, lies the village, El Lahun, and close to 
it is a pyramid of brick. The village, Hawarah, 
soon appeared, with a second pyramid in better 
preservation than the first, and a labyrinth con- 
nected with it. The situation of this enormous 
building is marked by large granite blocks ; of 
its three thousand chambers, the numerous en- 
twining passages of which have made the word 
labyrinth proverbial, there are few remaining. 
From the summit of the pyramid, we had a fine 
prospect over the district of Fayum, and its vil- 
lages, green fields, woods of palm and fruit trees, 
intersected by numerous canals, displaying, in 
contrast to Libya's barren desert, the triumph 
of human art. On the same evening we reached 
Medinet-el Fayum, the capital of the neighbour- 
hood. For the first time on our journey we 
found a hospitable reception in a Latin convent. 
The single monk who inhabits it has his sphere 
of labour only among some Greeks established 
there. He kept the hours of prayer in the fine 
large chapel, quite alone. Half a league distant 
from the town lies Biahmut. In the neigh- 
bourhood are two enormous stone pedestals ; 
they belong to the pyramids, with sitting statues, 
which Herodotus saw here. 

Returning towards Benisuefi , we met a train 
of stately riders, on fine horses. The most dis- 
tinguished of them, a Copt, gave us a most 
pressing invitation to accompany him to his 
house. On entering it, we found the clergy of 
the place, with several friends and inferiors, as- 
sembled. At about eleven o'clock in the evening 
a meal was brought, of which we partook with 



FROM ASSUAN TO CAIRO. 



89 



the master of the house and a priest, while the 
best friend of the host attended upon us. As the 
latter observed, that eating with Turkish forks, 
(that is, with the hands,) as well as the tearing 
of the pieces from the joint, was rather a difficult 
matter to me, he came to assist me with his 
powerful help. The conversation was not of a 
very religious character ; but Cyprian took more 
part in it than the priest, whose spirituality ap- 
peared at a very low ebb. After a pleasant visit 
we were re-conducted to our boat, about mid- 
night, by the light of torches. 

We again stopped at Mitraheny, having reached 
the commencement of the groups of pyramids, 
which extend from the left bank of the Nile to 
Ghizeh, and then rode to Sakkara, where is a 
stately pyramid, surrounded by ten of a smaller 
size. A row of fine and beautifully-ornamented 
graves is visible in the rocks ; they are the re- 
mains of Noph, the death towns of Memphis, 
which once, as the capital city of Egypt, occupied 
the ground now covered with pleasant palm trees. 
Its palaces were carried as building materials to 
Fostat, and from thence to Cairo. A statue of 
the god Nilus, by the side of two granite figures, 
lies on the ground, and a few granite rocks are 
scattered here and there. For the Lord said 
unto Noph, " Stand fast, and prepare thee ; for 
the sword shall devour round about thee — Noph 
shall be waste and desolate, without an inha- 
bitant."* In a pool of water lies the face of a 
splendid colossal statue of Rhamses the Great, 
whose works we had admired in Abu Simbel and 



* Jer. xlvi. 14, 19. 



90 



FROM ASSUAN TO CAIRO. 



Thebes. The question forcibly presented itself, 
" Why are thy valiant men swept away ? they 
stood not, because the Lord did drive them ; he 
made many to fall."* 

We soon arrived at Boulak, and on the 10th 
of February left the boat in which we had passed 
two never-to-be-forgotten months. Having re- 
served the visit to the Pyramids for the conclu- 
sion of our stay in Egypt, we now rode to 
Old Cairo, and taking asses to Ghizeh, followed 
the way that led between fruitful fields to the 
Pyramids, about a league and a half distant. 
The nearer we approached them the smaller did 
they appear ; and when we had attained the 
eminence bounding the Nile's inundation to- 
wards the Wilderness, and stood at the foot of 
the mighty buildings, the individual stones of 
which we were able to distinguish, silent won- 
der enchained us before the contemplation of an 
edifice, formed by the hand of man ; and sur- 
viving, four thousand years, Egypt's greatness 
and Egypt's pride. We ascended the Great 
Pyramid, which, rising four hundred and 
seventy feet above the sub-structure, is higher 
than any church tower in Europe. Cheops 
built it for his grave before the time of Abraham. 
It was constructed with steps on the outside ; 
and after its completion was faced with a co- 
vering of marble, or polished granite. On the 
second smaller Pyramid traces of this covering 
are visible at the points ; but as it has disap- 
peared from the first, the steps are seen, and it 
is, therefore, easy to ascend. We were zealously 



* Jer. xlvi. 15. 



FROM ASS CAN TO CAIRO. 



91 



assisted by the rivalrous Arabs, two of whom 
pulled us by the arms up the steep stairs ; while 
the third, who followed us, endeavoured to aid 
our ascent by lifting us up them. We quickly 
reached the summit, which now presented a 
broad level surface, though it had before ap- 
peared to rise still higher. 

At our feet lay Cairo, with its minarets and 
palaces. The Nile flowed along majestically, 
diffusing its waters all around by means of 
innumerable canals ; green fields, towns, and 
villages adorned its banks, while to the east and 
west the solitude of the barren desert reigned 
undisturbed. While the eye wandered into the 
unmeasured distance, the history of past Millen- 
niums rose before our minds. These pyramids 
were seen by Abraham, when, driven by the 
famine into Egypt, he received gifts from Pha- 
raoh. Under their shadow Joseph passed in 
Pharaoh's chariot, when he was raised to the 
seat of government. Enslaved Israel looked 
upon them as tokens of their oppressors' might. 
Moses gazed on them with confidence in that 
God before whom all earthly power must bow. 
Herodotus studied at their feet. Alexander the 
Great, on his triumphant march, and the Roman 
conquerors, in the pride of their glory, discerned 
in them memorials of a time, before the contem- 
plation of which they must have sunk into 
insignificance. The message of Christ was pro- 
claimed ; the surrounding desert became peopled 
by hermits and monks ; and churches rose on 
the banks of the stream. 

Soon was felt the barbarous power of Islam ; 
and now a miserable and starving race sighs at 



92 



FROM ASSUAN TO CAIRO. 



the foot of the pyramids. As warning and 
reproving monuments they guide the eye of 
the beholder towards Heaven! Hoary witnesses 
of the dark and mighty past, they deride the 
doubts that the men of the present have dared 
to raise respecting the truth of the word of God ! 
Involuntarily we turned toward the east, and 
our eyes were irresistibly attracted towards 
Sinai and Golgotha! The descent was very 
difficult, but, having accomplished it, we ap- 
proached the entrance to the interior. There 
is an inscription in hieroglyphics over it, sur- 
mounted by Prussia's Eagle. It is an expres- 
sion of gratitude to our beloved king, from 
Lepsius and his expedition. With much diffi- 
culty we descended the narrow passage leading 
to the queen's apartment. A gallery conducts 
from this to the king's chamber, which is lined 
with red granite, and contains a large granite 
sarcophagus. Above this there are several small 
rooms, and numerous passages leading down 
into the depths of a pit. The penetrating or 
crawling into the interior is more difficult than 
the ascent of the pyramid ; and our astonish- 
ment at the pride of the king was increased, by 
seeing for how small a grave in a little chamber, 
he had caused this mighty monument to be 
erected. 

Before the second smaller pyramid, not far 
from the larger, lies an enormous sphinx, pro- 
bably intended as guardian of the entrance. It 
is nearly covered with sand, and only the 
enormous mutilated head towers forth, robbed 
of its ornaments. The lower part is a lion, 
holding an altar between its claws. In the 



EGYPT AND THE HOLY SCRIPTURES. 93 



neighbourhood is the third great pyramid, and 
a whole row of smaller ones ; and in the desert 
sands are innumerable graves, the death-field of 
ages. Deeply moved, we returned to Cairo, in 
order to resume our journey to Sinai. 



CHAPTER IX. 

EGYPT AND THE HOLY SCRIPTURES. 

Detained by the warning of the pyramids^ 
let us cast another glance at Egypt, and view 
its position in the history of the kingdom of 
God. 

The inhabitants of Egypt were descended 
from Mizraim, the son of Ham, and inherited 
the curse that lay upon him. Not by Seth's 
descendants, whose joy was in the Lord, but by 
the race of Cain, the children of men, most of 
the discoveries were made. The family of the 
cursed Ham in Egypt soon became prominent 
by their advancement in the arts and sciences. 
The original nature of the country required 
artificial aid. 

Their mighty river was confined by the people 
within the narrow boundary of its valley, the 
charms of which attracted the inhabitants of the 
desert. Rain, a gift from above, was not needed 
by them; and their looks and thoughts were 
chained to earth, which regularly supplied them 
with its rich treasures. The unusual fruitful- 



94 



EGYPT AND THE HOLY SCRIPTURES. 



ness produced by the inundations made the 
transition easy from the wild hunter's or shep- 
herd's life to the stationary employments of 
agriculture. The regular return of the inun- 
dations occasioned the marking of the seasons, 
and gave rise to the study of astronomy. The 
annual overflowing of their property led them 
to geometrical calculations and the invention of 
water -works. The flowing stream also suggested 
an easy means of communication between the 
remotest portions of the shore, and strengthened 
confidence in the people's power. Rising king- 
doms, and excessive luxury, soon led to the 
formation of the wondrous monuments by which 
their kings acquired Divine honours. 

Thus the nature of the land produced in 
the people a distance from God, from whom, 
as the descendants of Ham, they had already 
departed, and developed in them to such a 
degree, the character of the world estranged 
from God, that Egypt prominently appears in 
the Scriptures as the representative of the world. 
Its pleasures led Abraham astray, when, taking 
refuge from the famine, he prevaricated before 
Pharaoh. Hagar, the disturber of Sarah's 
peace, was an Egyptian maid. Joseph with- 
stood temptation in Egypt, and, being after- 
wards entrusted with the highest post in the 
government, preserved to his family and to his 
people means of sustenance. The time during 
which Israel was in the land, is called the boy- 
hood of the nation. The Jews, whilst sojourn- 
ing among the children of the world, made 
considerable progress in art and science, and 
with this knowledge established themselves in 



EGYPT AND THE HOLY SCRIPTURES. 95 

the promised land. An historical intimation, 
that all developments in art and science, even 
among unbelievers, have for their end the pro- 
gression of the kingdom of God. The intention 
of the sojourn in Egypt, particularly appears in 
the man who was destined to deliver Israel. 
Moses, the son of a poor Israelite, was adopted 
by the daughter of Pharaoh, and trained up in 
all the wisdom of the Egyptian princes. 

The plagues with w^hich God visited Israel, 
before the departure of his people, open up to 
us a deep view of the Divine procedure. If the 
circumstances of the country were such as to 
lead to forgetfulness of God, He now ordained 
that the usual phenomena of nature should ap- 
pear and vanish in such a manner that the 
Egyptians should know that Israel's God was 
the Lord, and that what they looked upon sim- 
ply as the course of nature was the result of the 
Divine pleasure. They had certainly a natural 
explanation always ready, as was the case with 
many of the miracles of Christ. He who would 
harden his heart could find a point of support 
for his unbelief. At the annual inundation, the 
Nile, by coming in contact with red earth, re- 
ceives a tint of the same colour, making its 
flavour in hot years exceedingly nauseous. Now 
the Lord, at Moses' word, changed the water of 
the Nile into blood, " that the fish died, and 
the Egyptians could not drink of it." At every 
inundation frogs appear, and after their cor- 
ruption little gnats, (lice,) and flies ; and God 
followed this order from the second to the fifth 
plague. These usually last from August to 
November, and we do not read, nor is it probable, 



96 EGYPT AND THE HOLY SCRIPTURES. 

from the intervening orders of Pharaoh, that 
the plagues followed each other in quicker suc- 
cession. Mortality among animals, and boils, 
are common plagues of Egypt, and from them 
the Lord wonderfully delivered his people. In 
Lower Egypt storms are very frequent in Febru- 
ary ; it is the season when the flocks are still 
in the field, when the barley blooms, and the 
flax ripens. The Lord next sent a terrific hail- 
storm, from which the land of Goshen, generally 
the most severely visited, was wonderfully pre- 
served. With the heat, swarms of locusts ap- 
pear ; and the chamsin, or south wind, frequently 
brings so thick a fog, for three days, that the 
sun's light is concealed, and obscurity covers 
the land : we experienced this darkness our- 
selves. God sent two plagues of a similar kind, 
but during a darkness, such as Egypt had never 
known — a token of Divine wrath — it was light 
in Israel's dwellings, where the favour of God 
was manifested. At last, at Easter, came the 
desolating plague, demanding innumerable vic- 
tims. Now the Lord caused the omnipotence of 
his will to appear still more conspicuously, by 
slaying every first-born of Egypt, while he passed 
over all the Israelite's doors that were marked 
with the blood of the Passover lamb. 

Pharaoh now, for a short time, relented ; but 
his heart, and that of the people, were soon so 
hardened that they no more obeyed the word of 
God: and this appears as a turning point in the 
history of Egypt, for since the drowning of 
Pharaoh in the Red Sea to this day, it has never 
attained to any thing resembling its former 
glory. In Solomon's time Israel was certainly 



EGYPT AND THE HOLY SCRIPTURES. 97 

corrupted by Egypt. He took horses from 
thence, contrary to the command of the law ; and 
also brought away Pharaoh's daughter to be his 
wife. The kings of Judah and Israel were often 
warned to place their confidence in the Lord 
their God, and not in the king of Egypt. But 
the might of the people was broken ; the monu- 
ments of the kings did not approach in grandeur 
to those of earlier days, and they soon entirely 
disappeared. Ezekiel prophesied — " Thus saith 
the Lord God : Behold I am against thee, Pha- 
raoh, king of Egypt, the great dragon that 
lieth in the midst of his rivers, which hath said, 
My river is mine own, and I have made it for 
myself. And all the inhabitants of Egypt shall 
know that I am the Lord : they shall be a base 
kingdom. It shall be the basest of the king- 
doms ; neither shall it exalt itself any more 
above the nations : for I will diminish them, 
that they shall no more rule over the nations. 
They also that uphold Egypt shall fall ; and the 
pride of her power shall come down : from the 
tower of Syene shall they fall in it by the sword, 
saith the Lord God. And they shall be deso- 
late in the midst of the countries that are deso- 
late, and her cities shall be in the midst of the 
cities that are wasted. And I will make the 
rivers dry, and sell the land into the hand of 
the wicked ; and I will make the land waste, 
and all that is therein, by the hand of strangers ; 
and there shall be no more a prince of the land 
of Egypt."* The Chaldeans, under Nebuchad- 
nezzar, approached. After them, the Persians 

* Ezek. xxix. 3, 6, 14, 15 ; xxx. 6, 7, 12, 13, 

H 



98 EGYPT AND THE HOLY SCRIPTURES. 

ruled the land, and Alexander the Great then 
took it. His general^ Ptolemy, left it to the 
family bearing his name, until it became a 
Roman province. 

After this event, a time of new favour came ; 
for the gospel of Christ was announced, and 
Egypt received the word with joy ; churches 
rose on the banks of the river, and the desert 
was peopled with monks and hermits. Men 
taught of God rose up, from whose writings 
we are thankful even now to learn. Egypt 
became the granary of the Roman empire — but 
the old curse again appeared in the Christians 
of the land, who, contending about the doctrines 
of Christ, forgot the life in Christ. Parties and 
divisions arose, destitute of the bond of love, 
and the time came for the candlestick to be taken 
away. Professors of the faith of Islam pressed 
in, destroyed the Church, outraged the Cross, 
and made the people slaves. The country was 
afterwards conquered by the Mamelukes, the 
body-guard of the Saracenic Sultans, orginally 
composed of slaves, and supplied by bought 
slaves. In 1517, they were conquered by the 
Turks ; but remained in the country until 
Mehemet Ali, also a stranger, put an end to 
their tyranny. For nearly two thousand five 
hundred years, the poor land has been ruled by 
strangers, and drained for the mere gratification 
of their avarice. The Lord declared, " the 
Egyptians will I give over into the hand of a 
cruel lord ; and a fierce king shall rule over them ; 
and the waters shall fail from the sea, and the 
river shall be wasted and dried up. And they 
shall turn the rivers far away ; and the brooks 



EGYPT AND THE HOLY SCRIPTURES. 99 

of defence shall be emptied and dried up : the 
reeds and flags shall wither."* The canals are 
empty ; the brooks are dried up ; the sand of 
the desert has approached the stream, and the 
old Nile arms are choked with it. On the sites 
of magnificent towns, stand miserable villages 
and mud huts ; and the Pasha's palaces and 
manufactories occupy the place of stately build- 
ings. Poor and miserable, the people avoid 
slavery by concealing themselves in the graves 
of their fathers ; and so bitter is their poverty, 
that they have hardly enough clothes to cover 
them, or food to satisfy their hunger. Spiritual 
darkness and ignorance reign in the country, 
which once shone as a light in art and science 
to all the lands. 

By an enactment of Mehemet Ali he has made 
himself lord of all the landed property ; thus 
reducing the people to the state of tenants, 
or slaves. The nature of the land, and the 
formation of the canals, certainly require a 
measure of taxation ; but we see how this was 
managed by Joseph, who left the people four- 
fifths of the produce ; while the present culti- 
vators retain next to nothing, and individuals 
are even compelled to bear the arrears of their 
neighbours in town or village. Manufactories 
are established on the European model, but 
they are monopolies of the Pasha ; and families 
are not permitted themselves to prepare the 
cloth for their own use. The wars of the Pasha 
require a large supply of money and men ; the 
people are laid under contribution, and the men 



* Is. xix. 4, 6. 

H 2 



100 EGYPT AND THE HOLY SCRIPTURES. 



are dragged away ; so that mothers often seek to 
preserve their little ones from a fate so terrible, 
by breaking a finger, or extracting the front 
tooth, or putting out an eye ; and few boys 
with perfect limbs are, therefore, to be found. 

The country is certainly at peace now ; and, 
perhaps, through uninterrupted exertion, the 
deeply-fallen kingdom may yet rise again. 
Mehemet Ali has formed the best designs, and 
the largest plans for the accomplishment of this 
end. He seeks to extend European civilization, 
and travellers in the Turkish empire have 
never before received the respect due to them. 
A European can nowhere travel with greater 
safety than in Egypt. Christians are no longer 
persecuted on account of their religion, and 
fanaticism is on the decline ; neither do chris- 
tian missions receive the slightest interruption. 
A new period is preparing for the Egyptians ; 
and, perhaps, the present movements may be 
regarded as tokens, that, as the threatenings 
against the land have been fearfully fulfilled, so 
the glorious promises made to it are about to 
receive their accomplishment. " In that day 
shall there be an altar to the Lord in the midst 
of the land of Egypt, and a pillar at the border 
thereof to the Lord. And it shall be for a sign 
and for a witness unto the Lord of Hosts in the 
land of Egypt: for they shall cry unto the 
Lord because of the oppressors, and he shall 
send them a saviour, and a great one, and he 
shall deliver them. And the Lord "shall be 
known to Egypt, and the Egyptians shall know 
the Lord in that day. And the Lord shall smite 
Egypt ; he shall smite and heal it : and they 



EGYPT AND THE HOLY SCRIPTURES. 101 

shall return to the Lord, and he shall be in- 
treated of them, and shall heal them. And the 
Lord will bless them: saying, Blessed be 
Egypt, my people !"* 



* Is. xix. 19—25. 



PART III. 



SINAI. 



CHAPTER I. 
SUEZ. 

The few days of our second sojourn in Cairo 
were taken up with preparations for the journey 
through the Desert, which was to occupy four 
weeks. We purchased a green tent, gaily or- 
namented with red and yellow stripes, a table, 
and camp stools, and a smaller tent for the ser- 
vant Hassan. Besides these, it was necessary 
to provide four large water bottles of goat skins, 
stores of rice, maccaroni, coffee, sugar, oranges, 
and some fowls and meat, for the following days. 
Through the kind assistance of Dr. Lieder we 
obtained, as our guide through the Desert, 
Sheikh Hussein, the head sheikh of one of the 
Bedouin tribes of Sinai, the Tawarah Arabs ; he 
had also been the guide of Laborde. From him 
we hired four camels of burden, and three dro- 
medaries or riding camels, for the whole journey 
through the Desert, over Sinai to Doherijeh, 
on the borders of the Promised Land. For each 
of these we were to pay three hundred and sixty 



SUEZ, 



103 



piastres, about twenty-six thalers. In addition 
to this, he required four hundred piastres to set- 
tle accounts with the Bedouin tribes, through 
whose territories we had to pass, and a back- 
shisch at the conclusion of the journey. When 
all our arrangements were completed, the Be- 
douins fetched our luggage, and firmly fastened 
it to the camels, which, with the three drome- 
daries and the sheikh, waited for us at a place 
of encampment not far from the gate of Cairo. 
One camel carried the tents and coals ; another, 
the beds and the palm chest with the stores ; a 
third, the four full water bags ; and the fourth, 
our own trunk, upon which the servant rode. 
Following the advice of our friends, and com- 
plying with the particular wish of the sheikh, 
we added to our party six gentlemen who had 
joined in two tents ; among them were two 
English clergymen, whose society we enjoyed 
as far as Jerusalem. Thus we set out, on the 
afternoon of the 18th of February, forming a 
caravan of more than thirty camels ; and while 
the Bedouins, raising a merry song, walked 
briskly by our side, we endeavoured to accustom 
ourselves to the rocking movement of the camels. 
The burning rays of the sun were intercepted 
by an Egyptian parasol, with yellow and blue 
stripes; and the fresh, healthful air of the 
Desert produced an exhilarating effect. 

Proceeding on our way, we saw here and 
there pieces of petrified trees which are scat- 
tered through all the neighbourhood, but are 
found in the largest numbers in the petrified 
wood. The road was often marked by skeletons 
of camels, which had fallen on the journey, and 



104 



SUEZ. 



over them were hovering birds of prey. A 
large caravan from Hajis passed us, which had 
hastened in advance of the returning Mecca 
caravan. An invalid, wrapped in his white 
mantle, was bound to the camel, and it seemed 
very likely that he would never see his home 
again. From time to time, telegraphs appeared 
by the way-side, (for there is now a telegraphic 
communication between Cairo and Suez,) and 
station-houses, erected at a considerable expense 
for the diligence which now runs between 
these places, for the convenience of the travellers 
by the Indian steam-boats. We chose the 
northern and most usual route to Suez, the 
Derb-el-Haj, upon which the great Mecca 
caravan travels ; and, while leaving Birket-el- 
Haj on the side, our eyes often wandered back 
to the green fields of the Nile. 

Half-an-hour before sun-set, a halt was made 
in the desert plain, not far from the third tele- 
graph. The camels knelt down, bellowing 
loudly — their burdens were spread upon the 
ground, and they hastened to secure as many 
shrubs and twigs as possible before sun-set, 
when they all returned uncalled, and reposed 
in a circle around their masters. The tents 
were now pitched, and the Bedouins were emu- 
lous in their attentions, while we procured the 
baggage, and rendered habitable the interior of 
the tent. In the meantime, Hassan lighted a 
fire, pitched his tent, and, in the course of an 
hour, brought us our simple meal, consisting 
principally of rice and fowls. At the time of 
drinking coffee and taking pipes, our worthy 
sheikh generally paid us a visit, and talked to 



SUEZ. 



105 



us for some time, as his great adroitness in 
making himself understood, rendered his com- 
munications tolerably intelligible. Through 
the dragoman he would sometimes carry on a 
long conversation, and then suddenly break off, 
lest his dignity should be compromised. The 
Bedouins reposed in the evening round a fire, 
for which they collected brushwood the day 
before. They surrounded themselves with their 
luggage and the saddles, and beyond them were 
the camels, whose knees were tied to prevent 
their straying during the night. We were soon 
on very good terms with the Bedouins, with their 
fiery eyes, and small faces almost burnt black 
by the desert sun ; and rose still higher in their 
estimation by small presents of coffee and to- 
bacco. We were generally followed by a noble 
youth, the brother-in-law of our sheikh, whom, 
according to the old patriarchal custom, he 
served. Near us were the tents of our fellow- 
travellers, with those of their servants, and their 
Bedouins and camels, so that the heart of the 
Desert suddenly became a lively and well- 
peopled spot. The cold of the night was very 
severe, especially after the burning sun of the 
day. Before dawn, all was stirring ; we break- 
fasted, packed, and in an hour and a half were 
again upon our journey in uniform motion 
till the evening. The step of the camels is 
very slow and regular, and their pace through 
the sand usually about a league in an hour, but 
when the Bedouins are singing merrily, their 
movements are accelerated. This Desert often 
consists, as does that of the Peninsula of Sinai, 
of tracts of sand, under which is a gravelly 



106 



SUEZ. 



stratum, here and there spangled with a kind 
of jasper flint. The glittering of the stones in 
the sun's rays often attracted our eyes. As it 
frequently rains heavily in the winter, both 
here and at Sinai, grass and shrubs are abun- 
dant in the valleys, and are eagerly sought 
for by the camels. 

On the second day, large lakes bordered 
with fine trees suddenly appeared to view, 
particularly in the south. It was the deceitful 
mirage, and so delusive was it, that we could 
with difficulty believe its phantom nature. 

On the fourth day, we saw before us the 
valley in which the Red Sea flows, and behind 
it rose the barren mountain chain of the Sinai 
Peninsula, with Mount Ataka at the side — its 
dark and mighty ridges stretching towards the 
clear blue sky; — a sublime witness of the 
miracle that once divided the waters of the 
Red Sea at its feet. Near a small fortress, 
built as a protection to the Mecca caravans, we 
found a well with plentiful, but brackish water ; 
and although our dromedaries had not drunk for 
more than ten days, they would scarcely touch 
it. In the evening we arrived at Suez, on the 
shores of the Red Sea. It is a small town, with 
a few ruined houses ; no garden, tree, or green 
spot , is visible in the whole neighbourhood ; 
and no drop of sweet water is to be had, that 
which is at all palatable having to be fetched 
from a distance of three leagues, on the other 
side of the sea, and even this has a saline 
flavour. The town derives its importance only 
from its harbour, in which a large number of 
pilgrims annually take ship for Mecca. The 



SUEZ. 



107 



steam-boats, for communication between Eng- 
land and India, lie to the south, of the town, 
on the wide bosom of the bay. 

Close to the town the bay contracts to so 
narrow a canal, that, at the ebbing of the tide, 
it can be almost forded ; there are also nume- 
rous shallows in the neighbourhood. To the 
north it again becomes considerably wider, and 
there are evidences of its having formerly ex- 
tended several miles farther. We were able 
to observe these minutely on the following 
morning ; when, unlike our companions who 
crossed over in a boat, we lingered with our 
camels about the point of the bay. A strong 
north-west wind blew clouds of desert sand over 
the plain, and covered the spots which had just 
been washed by the sea, thus making them 
solid ground. In this way we could follow the 
gradual elevation of the land, which was the 
necessary result of the great contraction of the 
bay ; the northern point must, therefore, have 
changed so considerably in three thousand years 
that we can form but little idea of its original 
appearance. We reached the point in about 
half-an-hour, and in six hours were refreshed 
by the pleasant sight of palm trees, (stunted 
though they were,) and blooming gardens. 
"We were in Ayun Musa, near Moses' well. 

In this neighbourhood, is the theatre of that 
great act of God, by which he delivered his 
chosen people from Egyptian slavery. In the 
land of Goshen, to the north of Cairo, Israel 
was assembled at the Passover feast, with 
" their loins girded, their shoes on their feet, 
and their staff in their hands." They went out : 



108 



SUEZ. 



" and the Lord went before them by day in a 
pillar of a cloud, to lead them the way; and 
by night in a pillar of fire, to give them light, 
to go by day and night." But God led them 
not by the way of the land of the Philistines, 
although that was near, (only eleven days' 
journey from Cairo to Jerusalem ;) for God 
said — " Lest peradventure the people repent 
when they see war, and they return to Egypt." 
Therefore they turned towards the wilderness 
of Sinai, and arrived the first day at Succoth, 
and the second at Etham, on " the edge of the 
wilderness," which may have been situated to 
the north-west of the bay. They, no doubt, 
expected to go round the point to the eastern 
shore of the Red Sea, where they would have 
been safe from the snares of Pharaoh. But the 
Lord commanded them to u encamp before 
Pi-hahiroth, (Ajrud,) over against Baalzephon, 
(Suez.)" Israel therefore turned suddenly to 
the right, on the western shore of the Bed Sea. 

Now Pharaoh said, " of the children of Israel 
they are entangled in the land, the wilderness 
hath shut them in." They found them in a 
valley in which, in an easterly direction, before 
them flowed the Bed Sea, while, to the south, 
Mount Ataka rose abruptly from the waters. 
From the fortresses to the north and west, 
Pharaoh could shut them in with his riders and 
chariots, and he thought they were surely given 
into his hands. But he was conquered by the 
temptation sent him from God. He took his 
chosen chariots and riders, and all his host, and 
hastened after the children of Israel, who were 
encamped by the sea before Pi-hahiroth. But 



SUEZ. 



109 



Israel had been brought forth with a high hand. 
With the words, " the Lord shall fight for you, 
and ye shall hold your peace/' Moses raised 
his rod, " stretched his hand over the sea, and 
the Lord caused the sea to go back by a strong 
east wind all that night, and made the sea dry 
land, and the waters were divided. And the 
children of Israel went into the midst of the 
sea upon the dry ground ; and the waters were 
a wall unto them on their right hand and on 
their left." The Egyptians pursued them into 
the sea ; and in the morning watch, when all 
Israel had passed safely through, " the Lord 
looked unto the hosts of the Egyptians, through 
the pillar of fire and of the cloud, and troubled 
the host of the Egyptians." They recognized 
the hand of God, and tried to flee, but " Moses 
stretched forth his hand over the sea," the Lord 
caused his wind to blow, " and the waters re- 
turned and covered the chariots, and the horse- 
men, and all the host of Pharaoh that came into 
the sea after them ; there remained not so much 
as one of them." Rejoicingly could Israel sing 
with timbrels in their hands, " The Lord hath 
triumphed gloriously ; the horse and his rider 
hath he thrown into the sea." 

Where did this miracle of Divine grace and 
Divine justice take place? No monument marks 
the spot. Some have pointed out the narrow 
canal, near Suez, as its theatre ; and have en- 
deavoured, by referring it to the usual ebbing 
and flowing of the tide, to destroy the great- 
ness of the miracle. Napoleon, misled by its 
apparent shallowness, rode in, in order to give 
the tradition the appearance of the mere result 



110 



FROM SUEZ TO SINAI. 



of natural causes ; but the waters suddenly- 
rushed in, and would have annihilated him, 
like Pharaoh, had not immediate assistance 
rescued him from this imminent peril. It is 
most probable, that the passage was in a nor- 
therly direction from this mountain town, 
although the great changes that the sea has 
undergone, during three thousand years, ren- 
der it impossible to arrive at any degree of 
certainty. The Lord led the whole Israelitish 
nation, consisting of more than two millions of 
persons, with their flocks and possessions, 
through the waters, which stood up as walls on 
their right and left. If we would celebrate 
this typical act of God, it must be on an evening 
of Easter week ; when, after his resurrection, 
the Lord appeared in the midst of his disciples, 
with the words, " Peace be unto you !" By 
this deliverance God separated his elected heirs 
for " a peculiar people ;" as he afterwards led 
them into the promised land by the dividing of 
Jordan's waves. Yes — "He hath triumphed 
gloriously; the horse and his rider hath he 
thrown into the sea !" 



CHAPTER II. 

FROM SUEZ TO SINAI. 

We rested by Moses' well, near to fourteen 
springs of water, most of which were salt. 
Before us rose the great Ataka — its rosy hues 



FROM SUEZ TO SINAI. 



Ill 



reflected in the waters beneath. "With deep 
emotion we read the triumphal song of Moses, 
which must have been sung near this place. 
We then proceeded along the shore by Asien, 
which we had unconsciously passed in visiting 
the point of the bay, to the neighbourhood 
which the scripture calls Shur, or Etham. On 
the third day, the scenery became wilder ; bar- 
ren hills cast their dark shadows at the side — 
the brushwood disappeared — coral cliffs rose to 
view — and the animals sank deep in the loose 
heaps of sand. Through the valley El Amarah, 
we came to the well Howara, which lies upon a 
small hill, surrounded by palm shrubs, and 
herbs ; the water is salt, like that of Ayun Musa. 
This was Marah, where the Israelites arrived 
three days after the passage through the Red 
Sea. " But they could not drink of the waters 
of Marah, for they were bitter. And the peo- 
ple murmured against Moses. But the Lord 
shewed him a tree, which when he had cast into 
the waters, the waters were made sweet, and 
he said, I am the Lord that healeth thee."* 

The valley again became more pleasant. 
Tamarisks, small palm trees, and bushes 
appeared; and here and there were strips of 
fruitful land, built upon by the Arabs. About 
two hours afterwards, we rested in the valley 
Ghurundelj which is distinguished for the 
luxuriant growth of its brushwood. Half-a- 
league farther, towards the sea, is a well, 
yielding the best water we had found since 
leaving Cairo. Here in Elim, the Israelites 



* Exodus xv. 23, 26. 



112 



FROM SUEZ TO SINAI* 



encamped by " twelve wells of water, and 
threescore and ten palm trees." After this, we 
passed through a mountainous district; and 
met. in the valleys, flocks of camels, sheep, and 
goats, which, after the old patriarchal custom, 
were tended by the daughters of the Terabin 
Arabs. To the right, was the gloomy Mount 
Hummam. which rises, with its many cones, 
close to the sea shore. Passing through 
several valleys, we reached the beautiful and 
broad Tayibeh Valley : it is covered with tama- 
risks, and fresh herbage ; and many of the 
hollows still contained some of the water de- 
posited by the autumnal showers. The valley 
winds crookedly between steep rocks, and often, 
appears only an enclosed circle, until an opening 
suddenly displays itself. We again approached 
the Red Sea; on the north, it was bounded by 
rocks and mountains ; while to the south, was a 
plain, surrounded on the east by wild and 
rugged rocks. The nearer mountains were 
bright yellow ; those farther off appeared of a 
dark and dismal shade — while, in the distance, 
the rocky summits were tinged by the departing 
sun with a rosy hue. 

The cliffs soon approached so near the sea, 
that only at the ebbing of the tide was there a 
passage open; but near the excellent well of 
Murkah, the plain stretched far away, ex- 
tending, as the Wilderness of Sin, nearly to the 
end of the peninsula. Here the whole con- 
gregation of the children of Israel murmured 
against Moses and Aaron, and longed after the 
flesh-pots, and the bread of Egypt. But the 
Lord had mercy on them, and gave them manna 



FROM SUEZ TO SINAI. 



113 



and quails. In the morning "when the dew 
had disappeared, " behold, upon the face of 
the wilderness, there lay a small round thing, 
as small as the hoar frost, on the ground. It 
was like coriander seed, white ; and the taste 
of it was like wafers made with honey ; and 
the people gathered it, and made cakes of 
it." For forty years, until they came to the 
borders of the Promised Land, the Israelites 
eat manna ; and thus alone was it possible that 
millions of persons could have lived so long in 
the Desert, while the few fruitful spots do not 
now offer enough for the thousands of the 
Bedouin tribes. But of what nature this manna 
was, it is impossible to determine. In the con- 
vent of Sinai we tasted the present manna — a 
honey-like fluid, exuding, in transparent drops, 
from a species of tamarisk. Its character 
agrees, in general, with the description of the 
bread from Heaven; but it is found in very small 
quantities, and at most, serves as a memento 
of that miraculous food. On this occasion, God 
also appointed the celebration of the Sabbath, 
already instituted in the history of the creation ; 
as on Friday, a double portion of bread was sent, 
and did not corrupt during the Sabbath, while, 
on other occasions, manna was uneatable on the 
second day. 

From the Wilderness of Sin we proceeded 
eastward, through a plain covered with shrubs, 
to a narrow pass, only wide enough to admit 
one camel, so that our caravan presented a very 
picturesque appearance. The rocks around 
had a wild and dismal aspect. Leaving a wide 
plain, we entered the valley of Ikneh, which, ex- 

i 



114 



FROM SUEZ TO SINAI. 



tending to the sea, was, perhaps, trodden by the 
Israelites on their way from the Wilderness of 
Sin to Sinai. It is, certainly, the course chosen 
by innumerable pilgrims to the Mountain of 
the Law. This valley is followed by that of 
Mukatteb. The steep rocks of easily-impressed 
lime-stone have been used as natural monu- 
ments by hosts of pilgrims ; who, travelling in 
christian times to the Mountain of the Law, 
have desired to perpetuate their memory to 
succeeding brethren. There are still some 
partly-unknown characters, in which we thought 
we recognized Arabic, Hebrew, or Greek letters. 
Near the inscriptions are some rough drawings of 
camels, with or without riders — horses or asses 
difficult to be distinguished — goats and poor 
pilgrims travelling on foot. Some of the Greek 
inscriptions do not contain the names of the 
pilgrims ; there is only, " Pious soul, keep in 
remembrance !" A simple cross indicates their 
confession of the doctrine of the Cross, and 
unites them to the pilgrims of centuries to 
come ! Praying, we fulfilled their request. 
Our hearts were deeply moved at this spot — 
watered as it was by the tears of innumerable 
pilgrims, who, ardently pressing towards their 
glorious goal, languished with heat and thirst, 
and, perhaps, fainted, with still more hunger 
and thirst, after the righteousness and peace 
which their sufferings were intended to procure 
them ! At the spot where the largest numbers 
of inscriptions are, we encamped by the mild 
light of the moon. 

Leaving the Mukatteb Valley on the fol- 
lowing day, we entered a wild and gloomy pass. 



FROM SUEZ TO SINAI. 115 

Paths such as these lead to the Mountain of the 
Law, as if indicating the former position of 
the people of Israel, or- the heart-condition 
of those to "whom the thunders of the law 
were yet unintelligible. Leaving the pass> we 
entered the beautiful valley of Feiran, which 
is about five leagues in length ; and was, 
probably, travelled by the Israelites on their 
way from the Wilderness of Sin. Dark moun- 
tains, sometimes glittering 'with a rosy hue, 
surround the broad valley, in which are many 
tamarisks and shrubs, while in the distance rise 
the pointed summits of Serbal. At a turning 
of the road, we suddenly found ourselves in a 
wood of tall and slender palm trees, under 
which the Tawarah Arabs had left the low walls 
of some stone huts. Near the palms were 
some good apple trees, and the abundance of 
fruit upon their boughs gladdened our people. 
The sheikh was honourably greeted on all sides 
with the joyous " Salaam ! — Welcome !" and 
received a kiss on the right cheek. The moun- 
tains on the right, especially the majestic Ser- 
bal, rose ruggedly before us ; the threatening 
clouds were dispersing, and the cliffs glittered 
in the sunshine. We soon arrived at El Ma- 
charut, built among palm trees, on the ruins of 
Old Pharan. Upon a hill, at a little distance, 
among the ruins of the town, is still the old 
bishopric church. At the foot of the hill flows 
a clear and beautiful stream of living water — 
how did it refresh and cheer our Bedouins and 
camels. Since leaving Greece we had seen no 
running brook, and could now fully enter 
into the meaning of the scriptural expression, 

i 2 



116 



FROM SUEZ TO SINAI. 



" living water." By the clear stream was a 
lovely green tract of garden ground, while at 
the side the rocks rose bare and barren. Having 
seen none but stunted, crooked trees, since our 
departure from Cairo, how were our hearts 
gladdened by this verdure ; and how many 
weary pilgrims may have found both spiritual 
and temporal consolation with the Bishop of 
Pharan. How must the murmuring Israelites 
have confessed, with shame, that the God who 
led them through the wilderness is a God of 
Love ; and that even in their toilsome pilgrimage 
to the Mountain of the Law, and the know- 
ledge of sin, he had not left them without 
some refreshment. 

Tamarisks again took the place of palm trees, 
and a large rocky gateway, as if broken by art, 
and covered with inscriptions, marked the con- 
clusion of the palm grove of this lovely valley, 
after an extent of nearly two leagues. Behind 
the rocky gate, is the large valley of Scheikh, 
which, in a wide semi-circle, reaches to the 
foot of Sinai. Four leagues farther, is the 
commencement of the majestic and terrible 
granite mountain of Horeb. Cliffs, from six 
to eight hundred feet high, the upper parts 
blackened by the sun, rise towards Heaven. 
Three leagues from Sinai, and half a league 
from the road, is the well of Abu-Suveirah ; 
here the people encamped in Bephidim, and, 
as there was no water, they murmured against 
God. But the Lord said unto Moses, " Behold, 
I will stand before thee upon the rock in 
Horeb ; and thou shalt smite the rock, and 
there shall come water out of it, that the people 



FROM SUEZ TO SINAI. 



117 



may drink."* Therefore the name of the place 
was called Massa and Meribah. From the rock, 
the eye commands both sides of the valley ; it 
is called Mokad Saidna Musa, the seat of our 
Master Moses, " Then came Amalek, and 
fought with Israel in Bephidim. Moses went 
to the top of the hill, and when he held up his 
hands Israel prevailed ; but when he let down 
his hands Amalek prevailed. And Joshua 
discomfited Amalek with the edge of the 
sword." f But he and his people had but 
wielded the weapon — the interceding Moses 
had conquered, strengthened by the united 
prayers of his friends ! 

By a more difficult, but nearer way, we pur- 
sued our journey. Low hills of gravel and sand 
form a girdle around the holy Mount of Horeb. 
Through a small gate, we entered a narrow 
pass, where we descended from our camels, 
which worked their way along the toilsome 
path. Black and rugged granite cliffs, of a 
fearful height, separated from each other but a 
few hundred feet, leave a passage for a running 
brook, which at the rainy season pours down in 
torrents. Large blocks of rock bar the way, 
while others threaten to fall upon the pilgrim's 
head. At last, after traversing it about two 
hours, the pass began to widen. Ascending an 
eminence, we saw, in the distance, the summits 
of Sinai ; barren and desolate were the ground 
beneath, and the rocks around us ; and we soon 
stood upon the large plain of Rahah, sur- 
rounded by the wild peaks of granite mountains, 



* Exodus xvii. 6. f Exodus xvii. 8, 10, 11, 12. 



118 



FROM SUEZ TO SINAI. 



a thousand feet high. Half a league beyond us 
was the bold height of Sinai, majestically rising 
fifteen hundred feet above its neighbour sum- 
mits. In this plain Israel encamped. To the 
left of Sinai is the narrow valley of Schueib, 
the valley of Jethro. Dark cypresses, and 
fresh green fruit, here gladdened the eye ; and 
behind the cypresses rose the Greek convent of 
St. Katharine, like a fortress. From the door, 
about thirty feet high, a rope was let down to 
us, and we were wound up, — other doors being 
never opened for fear of the Bedouins. The 
Prior received us with a hearty blessing, and 
led us into the stranger's chamber, which, 
simply furnished with carpets, was approached 
by a long row of pillars. After a short salu- 
tation, and the customary refreshment of coffee, 
we established ourselves in one of the large 
rooms. It was now the evening of the 28th of 
February, nearly a fortnight since we had 
rested under the roof of a house. 

The first stage of our journey was reached, 
and we shed tears of gratitude. As the Lord 
once led his people out of Egypt, so had he 
also borne us from the far west, on eagle's 
wings, and brought us to his sanctuary! On 
the mountain that surrounded us, the thunder 
of the Almighty, the sound of the " exceeding 
loud' 3 trumpet had been heard. Since that 
time, and since Sinai bore the sign of the Cross, 
how many hosts of pilgrims have come through 
the wilderness, weeping and praying, to this 
holy place. Blessed are they, who now in 
white robes, with palms in their hands, stand 
before the throne of God and of the Lamb ! 



CHAPTER III. 



SINAI. 

Our first visit was to the place of the giving 
of the law. Accompanied by a pious monastic 
brother j and followed by numerous Dschebelijeh, 
slaves of the convent, we ascended a steep 
staircase way in the western part of the valley. 
The chasm through which we passed was so 
narrow, that, in some parts, doors were placed 
in it, at which priests formerly stood to hear 
the confessions of the pilgrims. In about an 
hour, we entered a narrow valley surrounded 
by cliffs. Near a well was a verdant grass plot, 
in the midst of which a single gloomy cypress 
stood. Not far from this, a simple building 
encloses two chapels; the larger dedicated to 
Elisha, and the smaller, to Elijah. Behind 
the Holy of Holies, in Elijah's chapel, is a 
remarkable hollow ; and here the prophet is 
said to have been when the angel of the Lord 
commanded him to go to Horeb, the mount of 
God " And he came thither unto a cave, and 
lodged there ; and behold the Lord passed by : 
And a great and strong wind rent the moun- 
tains, and broke in pieces the rocks before the 
Lord. But the Lord was not in the wind : and 
after the wind an earthquake — but the Lord 
was not in the earthquake ; and after the earth- 
quake a fire — but the Lord was not in the fire ; 
and after the fire a still, small voice." In that 



120 



SINAI. 



was the Lord ! Thus, the still, small voice was 
heard in the severe dispensation of the old 
covenant. Thus, in deep signification, the 
rolling thunder of Sinai, with the fire and the 
earthquake, mingled with the still, small voice 
of the Gospel! So was it on Sinai, when the 
God of righteousness and grace appeared as 
Jehovah, the One unchangeable. 

The path now became much steeper ; and, 
after more than two hours, we reached the 
point of the Dschebel Musa, the summit of 
Sinai, seven hundred feet above the level of 
the sea. Like the rest of the mountain the top 
is of grey granite, and is about eighty feet in 
diameter. On the eastern side, is a small and 
almost ruined chapel, formerly divided between 
the Greeks and Latins ; on the west, is a de- 
cayed mosque. The surrounding rocks are 
covered with Arabic, Greek, and Armenian in- 
scriptions, which preserve the remembrance of 
the ancient pilgrims. 

The eye roamed far over land and sea. In 
the east, appeared the bay of Akabah, and 
behind it the mountains of Arabia. Innumerable 
nearer hills and chains of mountains encircled 
the black, barren, and weather-beaten Mount of 
Moses, rising in the souths higher and higher 
still ; while, in the far distance, the blue waters 
encompassed it as with a girdle. To the south- 
west, the majestic Dschebel Katharine pro- 
tected, like a fortress, the Mountain of the 
Law. Farther towards the north, the waters 
of the Red Sea glittered at the foot of Akabah, 
near Suez. To the north, the barren desert, 
El Tih, gradually rose to view. Before it were 



SINAI. 



121 



the many-pointed rocks which surround the 
plain of Ilahah ; and, finally, the long range of 
Sinai sublimely towering above all the noise 
and unrest of the valleys. 

The mountain ruggedly descends two thou- 
sand feet ; presenting, first, a series of low hills, 
and then a broad plain, which is of an amphi- 
theatrical form, and served as a place of en- 
campment for the children of Israel. They 
gazed upon the mountain towering above them, 
like a gigantic altar. Yes — it stands there like 
an altar in the holiest of all; the rocky sum- 
mits encompassing it like the choir of a majestic 
cathedral, and the blue heaven forming its 
vaulted roof. — A sanctuary of God ! All traces 
of a human hand are far removed. No bird 
sails through the air — no blade of grass is on 
the rocks ! The sky, the rocks, and the sea, 
stand the only witnesses to the creating power 
of that Almighty God who made heaven and 
earth. 

Here the Lord concluded the covenant with 
his people, who, encamped in the neighbouring 
valleys, sanctified themselves three days. " And 
it came to pass on the third day, that there 
were thunders and lightnings, and a thick 
cloud upon the mount, and the voice of a 
trumpet exceeding loud ; so that all the people 
that was in the camp trembled. And Moses 
brought forth the people out of the camp to 
meet with God, (probably through the valley 
Sebaijeh, equal in breadth to that of Scheikh ;) 
and they stood at the nether part of the mount ; 
and mount Sinai was altogether in a smoke, 
because the Lord descended upon it in fire ; 



122 



SINAI. 



and the smoke thereof ascended as the smoke 
of a furnace, and the whole mount quaked 
greatly !" How must Israel, born in the plains 
of Egypt, have trembled beneath these rocks ! 
How, unaccustomed as they were to thunder 
and lightning, must they have quaked before 
those terrible re-echoing thunder peals ! Yet 
u the voice of the trumpet waxed louder and 
louder ;" and God proclaimed his will in ten 
commandments — signifying it by the fearful 
character of the place, and the awful circum- 
stances of his appearance. " But when the 
people heard the thunder, and the sound of the 
trumpet, and the voice out of the darkness ; 
and saw the mountain smoke and burn with 
fire, they trembled" before the majesty and 
glory of the Lord, and entreated that he would 
speak with Moses and not with them. The 
Lord heard these words of the people ; and 
Moses remained upon the mount forty days, in 
the thick darkness where God was, and received 
the laws and commandments for the people. 

This law of God, the covenant of Sinai, was 
the commencement of the second epoch, or 
economy, in the kingdom of God. On account 
of sin, it came in between the time of the 
promise, and that of its fulfilment, that the 
law, as a schoolmaster to Christ, might awaken 
the d'esire for redemption. The law itself is 
the impression of the Divine being and will: 
it is given in the command, cc Be ye perfect, 
even as your Father which is in heaven is per- 
fect." Therefore, it has eternal truth, and will 
remain, as God remains, " from everlasting to 
everlasting ;" and Christ affirms that " he is 



SINAI. 



123 



not come to destroy the law." Only it was 
given at a certain time, to a certain people, and, 
therefore, the form of the announcement took a 
certain shape, limited by time and nation. 
This form is transient and passing away ; it 
was necessary that it should have been dissolved ; 
and it has been dissolved by Christ. The 
spirit of the law is binding on the Christian, 
while the Jewish form of it is not obligatory. 
The whole law was comprehended in ten com- 
mandments — the number ten always signifying 
in the scriptures, the complete, finished. All 
other commandments were but amplifications 
of these ten, or, by outward ceremonials, 
indicated spiritual requirements. As the law 
took an outward, temporal form, so the Divine 
rewards also appeared in a definite shape. 
They promised the Holy Land ; securing the 
possession of it to the obedient, while it was 
denied to transgressors. Now, in Gospel times, 
we have the reality, instead of the shadows of 
future good. The love, rendered practicable by 
faith, is the fulfilling of the law ; the holy in- 
heritance is Jerusalem, which will come down 
from heaven. But we thank the Lord, that our 
eyes, which might soon be blinded by the clear 
light of the gospel, are taught to read his will 
in the shadows of the old covenant. 

With such feelings, we read upon the sum- 
mit of Sinai, the ten commandments in the 
original tongue — the surrounding neighbour- 
hood wonderfully corresponding to their strength 
and simple sublimity. The words penetrated 
our hearts ; and we seemed to hear the thunder 
of the Almighty, and to catch the tone of 



124 



SINAI. 



the trumpet exceeding loud. It was Saturday 
evening — Sabbath-day. Perfect rest reigned 
over the face of nature, and no trace of ani- 
mation was visible. We felt irresistibly raised 
to a state of holy Sabbath repose. We stood 
upon the spot which the three great religions 
of the earth, which confess the one true God, 
amounting to nearly half the human race, have 
looked with veneration. Jews, Mohammedans, 
and Christians, here worship the Omnipotent, 
their God ! 

Deeply impressed, we descended the height 
of Sinai to the table land below, which termi- 
nates in an abrupt declivity by the plain of 
Rahah ; the widest parts are adorned with 
chapels and gardens. This long ridge of Sinai 
divided Moses from the tumult of the people, 
while he was with the Lord upon the Mount. 
But the Israelites said, " As for this man, Moses, 
we wot not what is become of him and de- 
sired that Aaron would make them a molten 
calf. A festival was proclaimed, and songs of 
joy were raised, without the noise being heard 
by Moses. When the Lord commanded him to 
descend, he then, for the first time, saw the 
calf, and the dancing. And when we reached 
the northern end of Sinai, the wide valley sud- 
denly appeared beneath our feet, in which 
Israel* once encamped — a few cypresses now 
rising out of the convent garden. At the foot 
of the mountain, u as he came nigh unto the 
place," Moses must have broken the tables of 
the law ; and, upon a hill standing alone in the 
broad level, by the entrance to the valley of 
Scheikh, the golden calf must have been set up. 



SINAI. 



125 



The next day was Sunday ; and we employed 
it in becoming better acquainted with the plea- 
sant convent. The valley of Scheikh is closed 
immediately behind it by a hill, and is so closely 
shut in by the lofty mountains that the building 
rests on the declivity of the western range. It 
is surrounded by a granite wall, with several 
small towers for protection. The inner com- 
partments are divided into buildings, courts, 
and gardens ; while in the large garden to the 
north, are magnificent cypress and almond trees : 
the apricot and apple were in full blossom. 
Pear, fig, olive, and vine trees, here thrive luxu- 
riantly — the garden blooms like a paradise 
between the granite rocks. In the midst of the 
edifice an invisible portal opens into a church 
of astonishing size — a basilica of the sixth cen- 
tury, but much altered by more recent buildings. 
It is richly decorated with pictures and silver 
lamps. By the Holy of Holies is a small, low 
chapel, said to be the place where " the angel 
of the Lord appeared unto Moses in a flame of 
fire, out of the midst of the bush ; and he 
looked, and behold the bush burned with fire, 
and the bush was not consumed. 9 ' The spot is 
covered with a metal plate, which represents in 
relievo, the wonderful scene. Like Moses, we, 
too, drew the shoes from off our feet, for the 
Lord himself had called it u holy ground." 
The chapel is beautifully adorned with carpets, 
lamps, candlesticks, and paintings, the gifts of 
pious and grateful pilgrims. 

As we left it, the clock struck, and the monks 
assembled for service. They used the sublime 
Greek liturgy ; and all the inhabitants of the 



126 



SINAI. 



convent, including a Bedouin, recently con- 
verted to Christianity, were present. The effect 
of the service in this awful, holy place, was 
most impressive — a true day of refreshing on 
our pilgrimage. In the epistle for the day, 
(Gal. iv. 21 to 31,) the apostle announced to us 
the deep signification of the covenant from 
Mount Sinai. After the service, we visited 
some of the four-and-twenty chapels, now in 
the district of the convent, and once distributed 
among different christian churches, as are the 
deserted mosques, in which the confessors of 
Islam once worshipped. We then saw the 
library, which contains many manuscripts, par- 
ticularly of the Bible. The few printed books 
are mostly in Greek, with the exception of some 
Bibles, the present of a missionary. Thus, to 
our great joy, we had found a German Bible in 
our chamber. In the archbishop's apartments 
is a beautiful manuscript of the four gospels, in 
golden letters, similar to the Alexandrine writ- 
ing, and commencing with the gospel of John ; 
but the monks refused to show it to us. It was 
Latare Sunday.* Lastly, we descended into 
the charnel houses — two subterranean passages, 
in which the bones of the priests and laymen 
are separately piled up ; the skulls, divided 
from the remaining bones, lie heaped together. 
In the second vault, the bones of the arch- 
bishops stand in a row of chests, by the side of 
the two hermits, who, in the neighbouring 
mountain, wore a shirt of mail upon their 
naked bodies, and fastened their feet together 

* The Sunday before Easter. — Trans. 



SINAI. 



127 



with a chain. In the afternoon, we wandered 
in the valley of Sebaijah, at the extreme point 
of which the children of Israel were gathered 
together to hear the law from the Mount of 
Moses. From the height of Dschebel Musa 
we had admired its majestic situation ; and now 
we were astonished at the sublimity of the altar 
of God, which, in the most imposing form, 
rose precipitously above us. We had seen no 
mountain in the whole Peninsula corresponding 
in so eminent a degree to the descriptions of 
the Bible. 

The same impression was renewed, when, on 
the following day, we ascended the Dschebel 
Katharine, the highest mountain in the neigh- 
bourhood. The way leads from the northern 
foot of Sinai, through the valley Rahah, to that 
of Leja, which is considerably narrower than 
the other two parallel vallies. Passing a plea- 
sant garden, with cypress, olive, and blooming 
fruit trees, we reached, in an hour and a half, 
the charming convent, El Arbain, " the forty ; 59 
forty monks having been killed there at an 
invasion of the Arabs, probably in the fourth 
century. It is situated by a clear spring, in the 
midst of a lovely garden, but it is now unin- 
habited. We next ascended the mountain to 
the left, and found several Sinaitish inscriptions 
engraved on the rock. A well of delicious 
water refreshed us on the steep ascent, as we 
worked our way through stones and masses of 
rock to the top of the ridge, above which the 
point of the mountain abruptly rises, amid 
almost inaccessible rocks. At last, after an 
ascent of two hours and a half from El Arbain, 



128 



SINAI. 



we stood upon the summit of the Dschebel 
Katharine ; and found ourselves more than 
eight thousand feet above the level of the sea* 
The whole Peninsula of Sinai lay beneath us, 
bounded on the north by the wilderness El Tih, 
and on the other sides by the waters of the 
Red Sea. The bay of Suez was visible, with 
the mountains of Africa, and before them the 
wild cliffs of Serbal ; on the other side, appeared 
the mountains of Arabia, with the bay of 
Akabah, and near it innumerable mountain 
peaks ; while, at our feet, was the incomparable 
Dschebel Musa, the summit of Sinai, encircled 
by the neighbouring mountains. Upon one of 
the two peaks, near the ruins of an old chapel, 
we were refreshed with the provisions our 
friendly guide had brought, and resigned our- 
selves to the overpowering emotions produced 
by this wonderful peninsula. It seemed as 
though the mighty power of the law were in- 
dicated, not only by the majesty and severity of 
the law-giver, but also by these awful rocks 
and mountain peaks. The intimate connexion 
between the giving of the law, and the spot in 
which it took place, the relation between history 
and nature, had never appeared to us so striking. 
It was the manifest conclusion of all that we 
had before individually learned. We returned 
to the convent more easily and quickly by the 
same route we had taken in the morning. 

The fourth and last day at Sinai we devoted 
to tranquil reflection, and the re-consideration 
of the rich histories of this holy place. After 
the sojourn of Israel in the wilderness, one 
more manifestation was accorded at Sinai, when 



SINAI. 



129 



Elijah was sent there. It was necessary that 
he, the chief of the prophets, should be led to 
the place of the giving of the law, in order 
that their predictions might be discerned in 
their true position. During the time of the 
priests' apostacy, they, by special and divine 
appointment, were to remind the people of the 
predicted punishments, and of the promises of 
grace, contained in the law ; and thus the Lord 
united threatenings of correction, with the 
announcement of the greatest blessing of the 
future — the appearance of Christ. Law and 
prophecy are therefore most intimately associated 
in the prophets. Their great representatives, 
Moses and Elijah, both stood upon Mount Sinai; 
and we afterwards see them glorified together 
upon the mount of Tabor. It was natural 
that none of the Israelites should otherwise 
have visited Sinai, or performed regular pil- 
grimages there. The Lord dwelt at Jerusalem, 
in the midst of his people, and three times 
every year the pious Israelite repaired to the 
house of God. In this way, all his time was 
occupied ; and there he found the Lord himself, 
while in the wilderness he had seen but cold 
and barren rocks. 

Thus it remained until christian times, when 
pious hermits sought out holy spots ; in order, 
far from the world's commotion, to consecrate 
themselves to the Lord, who was with them, 
wherever they might choose their earthly habi- 
tation. In the third and fourth centuries, we 
hear of hosts of hermits, who fixed their quiet 
cells among the rocks of Sinai. They esta- 
blished themselves at a distance from one 

K 



180 



SINAI. 



another, that their devotions might be undis- 
turbed. The whole week through, they lived 
alone ; and only on Sunday morning, assem- 
bled in the church erected by the empress 
Helena, over the place of the burning bush. 
They partook of the Holy Sacrament, and 
then returned, strengthened, each to his lonely 
hermitage. Hordes of wild Saracens often dis- 
turbed their holy stillness ; and the defenceless 
monks became the victims of their murderous 
dispositions. It was in such an attack, that u the 
forty" suffered the martyr's death. At last, in 
527, the emperor Justinian founded a convent, 
near the church of St. Helena, with a strong 
fortress, to which he sent, for the purposes of 
service and protection, two hundred slaves, 
with their wives and children. The number of 
monks and hermits now increased to nearly 
seven thousand, and numerous were the pil- 
grims to the holy place, and to the holy men. 
The Mohammedan conquest diminished the 
number of inhabitants and pilgrims, but the 
convent has never been destroyed by them ; and 
the tradition is, that Mahomet himself, in a re- 
markable letter to the monks, promised them 
security from every injustice on the part of his 
adherents. They are now under the protection 
of the neighbouring Bedouins, for which they 
pay them some trifling taxes. The descendants 
of the slaves sent by the emperor have become 
like the Bedouins, but are still the bondsmen 
of the convent. About twenty monks are now 
devoted to holy duties, and to the reception of 
pilgrims or strangers, whose number scarcely 
amounts to a hundred in the year. In the wild, 



THE BEDOUINS. 



131 



waste wilderness, they assemble in a little 
church, near fresh clear water and lovely 
verdure, enclosed by barren rocks. Among 
millions of unbelievers, they offer the lonely 
wanderer christian communion ; and wonder- 
fully impressive is the sound of bells among 
them. Such solitude in the mighty stillness of 
nature leads to devotion unutterably deep. The 
hours spent at Sinai were resting points upon 
the pilgrimage to the heavenly Canaan, in 
which we enjoyed, in anticipation, et the rest 
that remaineth for the people of God!" 



CHAPTER IV. 

THE BEDOUINS, 

The blessed days at Sinai were at end. 
Our sheikh Hussein had brought, from the 
valley of his home, better and stronger camels. 
On the morning of the 5th of March, the beasts 
of burden were laden among a crowd of the 
assembled slaves and Bedouins ; and mounting 
our dromedaries, we left the incomparable val- 
ley of the convent. Continuing in the Scheikh 
valley, we arrived, in about three hours, at the 
seat of Moses, where he prayed for victory 
over Amalek. 

We could now no longer follow the march 
of Israel through the Wilderness. They had 
lain encamped a year at Sinai, and there the 

±1 <c 



132 



THE BEDOUINS. 



tabernacle was set up. Then going in the 
direction of the pillar of cloud and fire, they 
turned towards the east. At Taberah, or " the 
graves of lust/' many of the people received 
the punishment of their murmuring. Hazeroth, 
where Aaron and Miriam bore the consequences 
of their opposition to Moses, is supposed to be 
recognised in the well of Hadhra. They then 
went up from the bay of Akaba to Kadesh, 
near the borders of the Promised Land. ^From 
this place spies were sent out ; but their report 
of the giants who inhabited the land excited 
the people to rebellion against the Lord ; and 
he decreed that this generation, which had 
grown up amid Egyptian slavery, and had 
received such signal deliverances, but still 
desired to return, were not worthy to possess 
the Holy Land. They were all to die in the 
"Wilderness ; and there, for eight-and-thirty 
years, they lived as shepherds, like the Bedouins 
of the present day. The new people, grown 
up amid the freedom of the Desert, and ac- 
customed from childhood to follow the will of 
the Lord in the fiery and cloudy pillar, were to 
be the possessors of the land. They, therefore, 
turned from Kadesh ; and, probably, remained 
in the neighbourhood of Ezion-Geber, at the 
end of the bay of Akaba. From hence, after 
eight-and-thirty years, the people attempted to 
pass through the land of the Edomites ; but, 
driven back from thence, they wandered in the 
wilderness of the Moabites, through which the 
great caravan road now passes. Then marching 
eastward from the Dead Sea, they passed into 
the borders of the Holy Land, 



THE BEDOUINS. 



133 



We chose the nearest way from Sinai, through 
Nukhl ; and, on the first day, again encamped 
in the valley of Scheikh, near some tamarisks, 
where our camels found good provender. The 
next day, my friend and I separated from the. 
rest of the caravan — as the sheikh Hussein 
had invited us to pay a visit to his tent. Pie 
rode before us on his dromedary, singing mer- 
rily, and led us through little valleys and 
narrow defiles, such as we had never seen 
before, and which are not often visited by 
travellers. We admired the dexterity and firm 
step of our dromedaries, from which we seldom 
found it necessary to descend. Towards noon, 
having left a narrow pass, we arrived at an 
extensive plain, slightly elevated towards the 
south, and commanding a view of the neigh- 
bouring desert, El Tih. We perceived before 
us two rows of tents ; the sheikh pointed to 
them triumphantly, and soon conducted us into 
his own. 

It was distinguished by its size from all the 
rest, and was surrounded by about twenty tents. 
They were made of dark brown cloth, prepared 
from earners hair, and stretched over four or 
five simple stakes, about six feet high. They 
are not round, but square, and open in front — 
a partition dividing them into two apartments ; 
the smaller for the women and children, and 
the larger, the divan, for the men. In our 
sheikh's large room a carpet was spread out. 
A fire was soon made — and coffee, baked, 
pounded, boiled, and then presented, first, to 
us, and, afterwards, to three or four friends of 
our sheikh who were present. The pipes, 



134 



THE BEDOUINS. 



according to oriental custom, were passed from 
one to another. In the mean time, the sheikh 
had sent to the flock, which was tended by his 
eldest daughter ; a young lamb was brought, 
killed, and prepared — while the women in the 
next room mixed some dough, kneaded it, and 
baked bread cakes. In about two hours, the 
sheikh brought the meat in two wooden bowls — 
one of them containing a sauce, with the ten- 
derest parts of the lamb ; the other, the re- 
maining portions. The bread served for spoons, 
and our beverage consisted of excellent rain- 
water, which the Bedouins distinguish from 
that obtained from springs, as water from God. 
The sheikh alone eat with us — the others, and 
among them the most-esteemed people of the 
place, and even Musa, the representative of our 
sheikh, respectfully waited at some distance. 
While eating, we remarked a movement on the 
partition wall, between the two chambers of the 
tent. The sheikh's wife was pressing in, and 
listening through a crevice, just as is related of 
Sarah, at the meal prepared by Abraham for 
the angels. Both the children of the sheikh, 
his little daughter, Fathme, and her brother, 
came near, from time to time, gazing with cu- 
riosity upon the strangers, and then quickly 
retiring to relate what they had seen to their 
mothfer. At the conclusion of the meal, a cake 
and piece of meat were given to each person 
present, according to age and rank. The re- 
presentative, Musa, helped our sheikh, according 
to oriental custom, to at least as much again as 
the rest. It was a meal like that prepared by 
Abraham four thousand years ago. 



THE BEDOUINS. 



135 



Since that time, the sand of the Wilderness 
has preserved the simplicity of ancient man- 
ners, almost unchanged ; and we may well feel 
ashamed, when we compare the many wants of 
our refined mode of life with the modest hap- 
piness of this shepherd people. They assemble 
under the elder, or sheikh, of the tribe, whom 
they follow as a father. He, alone, pronounces 
judgment ; and, during this short visit, Hussein 
had much business to despatch, and many 
secret conversations to hold with his represen- 
tative. Faction and bribery are strange to 
them, and a verdict is immediately followed by 
its execution. Respect and integrity are native 
virtues. Theft is unheard of, and would be 
punished with death ; a father, who had heard 
of such a crime committed by his son, himself 
precipitated him from the height of a rock. 
Marriage faith is inviolable ; — hospitality is 
practised in its fullest extent, and the guest is 
certain of every protection. The wealth of the 
Bedouins consists in their flocks and camels — 
the latter being used partly in warlike expe- 
ditions, and partly in the caravan trade, in 
which they have always been great gainers. 
Agriculture is left to the poorest and lowest — 
the Fellahs. Art, and even handicraft, are 
unknown ; and most of them consider it a 
disgrace to read or write. 

Their religion is very simple ; they, indeed, 
call themselves Mohammedans, but very few 
keep the fasts, or make pilgrimages to Mecca. 
The Koran is almost unknown ; and mosques 
they have none. Their religion has remained the 
same as it was at the time of Abraham ; it is 



136 



THE BEDOUINS. 



faith in God, who made Heaven and earth — 
who is enthroned in Heaven, and from whom 
every good gift comes. They seek to obtain 
his favour by strict rectitude, until he calls 
them from the ranks of the living. As their 
tenets are less opposed to the christian faith 
than those of many other nations, it would be 
easier for missionaries to work among them; 
and if the efforts of true christian love were 
successful in arousing them from their religious 
indifference, which, unhappily, has hitherto 
been entirely unattempted, they would become 
living, earnest members of the church. 

Yet, in embracing Christianity, they would 
have much to lay aside, for they are still (t wild 
men and though friend is ever faithful to 
friend, " their hand" is yet " against every 
man, and every man's hand against them. 55 
They are in continual warfare with neigh- 
bouring tribes ; and robbery and murder are 
their delight. Revenge is dominant among 
them, and the relations of the murdered man 
pursue the murderer to the last : nothing re- 
mains for him but escape to a foreign land, and 
it is very seldom that his return is procured by 
means of gold. Moses could obviate this cruel 
practice in no other way than by appointing 
refuge cities. 

About four thousand Bedouins now inhabit 
the peninsula of Sinai. To the east, near the 
bay of Akaba, they have fruitful valleys and 
fields ; but the south and west, the abode of 
the Tawarah Arabs, is almost destitute of corn, 
and they are obliged to buy it in Egypt. They 
are, therefore, the poorest of all, and let out 



THE BEDOUINS. 



137 



their camels to travellers. They., nevertheless, 
preserve their honour and rectitude ; and al- 
though we slept under their protection alone, 
and the tent was always open during the night, 
we never missed the most trifling article. 
Bread and water need only be guarded from 
their hunger. Water, and bread baked in the 
ashes, form their usual food ; they are well 
contented with it, and able to undergo immense 
fatigue. Coffee and meat are dainties, only 
allowed when required by the duties of hos- 
pitality. Their dress consists of pantaloons, 
and a linen smock frock, confined with a girdle, 
which contains the cartridge box. A fine tur- 
ban, a musket, with a match-lock, and a sword, 
serving also as a knife, complete their attire. 
Sandals made from shagreen are often added. 
The sheikh is distinguished by a coloured, 
generally a red, dress, and a more costly turban. 
On the journey, our sheikh differed from the 
rest, only by a red girdle, richly embroidered 
with silver. This visit to " his house" placed 
us on a footing of greater intimacy with him 
than ever. 



CHAPTER V. 



FROM SINAI TO BEERSHEBA. 



Returning before sunset to our caravan, we 
found that it had left the great Sheikh valley, 



138 FROM SINAI TO BEEKSHEBA. 



and that the tents were pitched in the valley of 
Lebweh. We proceeded on the following day, 
in a north-westerly direction ; and, towards 
noon, the character of the country began to 
change. Sand-stone mountains rose to view, 
and heaps of shifting sand covered the ground. 
Leaving the caravan, we descended with our 
fellow-travellers, and the sheikh Hussein as 
guide, a wild and rough pass, and entered the 
waste and barren valley of Suwuc, where we 
left the camels. We then climbed, by very 
toilsome paths, the steep mountain which bears 
the name Surabit-el-Khadim, and is nearly 
seven hundred feet high. Its peaks rise in 
fantastical irregularity — now in ruddy sand- 
stone — now in darker hues — while awful preci- 
pices disclosed themselves beneath. A broad 
plain extends over the summit, the enormous 
terraces of the wilderness, El Tih, rise in front, 
and the mountain of Horeb, colossus-like, lies 
behind. Passing by a row of about twenty 
monumental stones, covered with hieroglyphics, 
we came to the ruins of a small temple, with a 
Holy of Holies hewn out of the rock. The 
walls and pillars are adorned with simple sculp- 
tures and hieroglyphics. A short time after 
our visit, Lepsius, for the first time, deciphered 
these inscriptions, and discovered them to 
be monuments of several of the Egyptian 
Pharaohs, worked in the neighbouring copper 
mines, and similar to those we had seen in 
Egypt, in the grottos of Dschebel Selseleh. 
The surrounding mountains are covered with a 
layer of iron dross, forming a strong contrast 
to the clear colour of the mountain, and 



FROM SINAI TO BEERSHEBA. 139 

giving to the barren waste a singularly awful 
appearance. 

We encamped about two leagues farther, 
near the steep hill that rises in the wilderness, 
El Tih, to the height of some hundred feet. 
A more prominent, but less steep elevation, is 
formed by the pass Rakineh; one of the few 
passes by which the Desert-plateau can be 
ascended. The camels were two hours in 
reaching the height by a zig-zag route. We 
soon refreshed ourselves beneath some palm 
trees, at Abu jNTuteighineh, with good rain 
water; that in the adjacent cisterns had acquired 
a saline flavour from the salt of the neigh- 
bouring mountain. The prospect was now 
confined by small hills, and the way led through 
valleys, covered with flints and drifts of sand. 
We left Abu Ulejan considerably to the west, 
and entered the great valley of Arish, which 
extends to the Mediterranean Sea. We en- 
camped under tamarisk trees, and the camels 
found excellent pasture. On the second day, 
after leaving this place, we perceived the isolated 
hill of Sarbut, rising on the right in a conical 
form. It is chosen by the Arabs as a land- 
mark, on account of its singular shape and 
open situation. 

Some hours later, on the sixth evening after 
our departure from Sinai, we arrived at Kulat- 
en-Nukhl, which forms the second station on 
the Haij road for the great Mecca caravan. 
It is a small fortress, guarded by about ten 
Egyptian soldiers, and is built about a deep 
well, in the form of a square, with four corner 
towers. In the neighbourhood is the grave of 



140 



FROM SINAI TO BEERSHEBA. 



a sheikh, oyer which some miserable huts are 
built. The great caravan had returned to Cairo 
a fortnight before, and the surrounding country 
was covered with traces of its march, par- 
ticularly with bodies of camels, for which birds 
of prey and dogs contended. We chose our 
place of encampment at some distance. 

Leaving the territory of the Tawarah Arabs 
for that of the Tiyahah, our companions changed 
their camels, and made a new agreement with 
the wild and powerful sheikh of that tribe. 
Sheikh Hussein, who was in alliance with them, 
only paid a passage fee for each camel, and was 
permitted to accompany us farther. As^ in 
reaching the Promised Land, we had to pass 
through the territory of several tribes, the 
people of our companions were selected from 
Tiyahah, Terabin, and Hawat Arabs. Their 
camels were worse than ours ; but the Bedouins 
themselves were stronger, and their arms were 
in far better condition than those of the Tawarah 
Arabs ; they are almost constantly in war, and 
just before this time had again been engaged in 
conflict. For three days we proceeded in a 
north-easterly direction, leaving the Dschebel 
Hellal to the west. Various roads from Akaba 
to Suez united in ours ; the vegetation con- 
siderably improved — the ground being covered 
with herbs, grass, and shrubs in abundance 
and freshness. On the fourth day, we en- 
tered the valley of Seram. From this place 
we frequently observed remains of old walls 
upon the hills; and, as traces of earlier buildings, 
betokened the farther advance of the wilderness. 
They are ruins of terraces^ which were once 



FROM SINAI TO BEERSHEBA. 141 



universal in Syria, in order to protect the earth 
from the water which the heavy showers would 
otherwise force down upon it. We soon per- 
ceived, on the left, upon the highest point of a 
hill, the ruins of Auj eh, (Augustopolis). Towards 
evening, the country became more beautiful 
and agreeable : the song of numerous birds 
resounded through the air — an enjoyment we 
had been long deprived of. A wide green 
plain extended in the front ; and, in the far 
distance, the hills of Judah rose before us, in 
the golden light of the setting sun. Unutterable 
emotion swelled our hearts, which longed after 
the mountains from whence eternal help came to 
us ! After a long while, we reposed, for the first 
time, on the green turf, but found our couch 
both moist and cool. The next morning, we 
reached the mountain summit, upon which are 
the widely-extended ruins of Ruhaibeh. The 
streets of a large town may be distinctly re- 
cognised, as well as the foundation walls of the 
houses, and the remains of a church. Near the 
houses are deep, and beautifully -hewn cisterns, 
with stone covers of a considerable thickness. 
The magnificent blocks remain just as they fell 
at the destruction of the town — a refuge for 
lizards and desert beasts. This is the place 
where Isaac dug a well, and called it Eehoboth. 

We had scarcely left Euhaibeh, when two 
Bedouins of the tribe of Azazimeh approached 
us on beautifully-caparisoned horses ; they shook 
hands fraternally with our sheikh, but one of 
our guides, an old Tiyaheb, 'covered his face 
with his mantle, for his tribe was at war with 
that of Azazimeh. A quarter of an hour after- 



142 



FROM SINAI TO BEERSHEBA. 



wards, we saw three Bedouins hurrying down 
from the top of a hill before us, at their drome- 
daries' greatest speed. Our caravan moved close 
together, and our guides, seizing the long pow- 
der-flasks that hung at their sides, loaded their 
arms. Eight more Bedouins appeared behind 
the other three, flying upon dromedaries, and 
pointing their arms towards us, so that they 
had only to apply the match. We continued 
perfectly still, and they soon came near. Sheikh 
Hussein went towards them : it was a moment 
of anxious expectation — of fearful suspense — 
before the wild sons of the desert ! But Hussein 
gave them the hand ; and after a " Tajib, good 
friend," they flew past us. During the night, 
the two Azazimeh's had reconnoitred the en- 
campment of the Terabin, their enemies, but 
had been discovered, and were now pursued. 
They had bad horses, and as the dromedary is 
always the swifter animal, our Bedouins felt 
convinced that the two spies would soon lie in 
their blood at Ruhaibeh. Hussein triumphantly 
showed how important a personage he was 
among the various tribes, and we felt no dis- 
position to grudge him his triumph. It was the 
only time we were called upon to interfere 
between warlike hordes, or to learn by ex- 
perience the wildness of the people. 

We soon reached a beautiful spring, and 
near it was a hill, covered with the ruins of a 
town. It is now called Khalasah, and is the 
old Elusa, the seat of a bishop. The moun- 
tains of Judah rose more distinctly before us ; 
the herbs of the Desert were seen no longer, 
and the hills were covered with fresh grass and 



FROM SINAI TO BEERSHEBA. 143 

abundant pasture. Wide plains, and soft and 
lovely groups of mountains, extended before 
our delighted eyes, while the birds filled the air 
with joyous songs of praise. Camels fed in the 
valleys, and flocks of cattle, sheep, and goats, 
upon the hills. We entered a broad valley, 
and stood beside the well of Beersheba. It was 
Saturday evening, the Sabbath before the holy 
week of the year. Our march through the 
Desert was at an end. We were constrained to 
acknowledge, " the Lord knoweth thy walking 
through this great wilderness : thy God hath 
been with thee; thou hast lacked nothing."* 
We encamped on the borders of the Promised 
Land ! 



* Deut. ii. 7. 



PART IV, 

JERUSALEM. 



CHAPTER I. 

THE ASCENT TO JERUSALEM. 

Beersheba is the southern boundary of the 
land, extending from Dan to Beersheba — the holy 
inheritance which God promised to his elected 
people. Here Abraham dug a well, and made 
an alliance with Abimelech ; therefore he named 
the place Beersheba — " the Well of the Oath." 
Here, too, he called on the name of the Lord, 
" the Everlasting God." The Lord appeared 
with promises to Isaac, who built an altar here, 
and his servants dug a well. Jacob went out 
from hence to Mesopotamia with the stolen 
blessing ; and, on his way to his son Joseph in 
Egypt, where he closed his toilsome pilgrimage, 
he offered sacrifices at Beersheba, and received 
the promise of the Lord respecting the sojourn 
of Israel in Egypt. 

We found two wells, yielding excellent 
water, such as we had not tasted since leaving 
Mount Sinai. The larger, is twelve feet in 
diameter, and nearly fifty feet deep; round it 



THE ASCENT TO JERUSALEM. 145 

are ten drinking troughs, made of excavated 
stones, in which the water for the animals is 
drawn. The old border stone is deeply cut by 
the ropes of the drawers. Not far from this, is a 
second smaller well, surrounded by similar 
troughs. Upon the neighbouring hill lie 
widely-scattered ruins. The foundation walls 
of a town, and the floors of several Roman 
bathing rooms, still in existence, prove the 
place to have been of considerable importance. 
From the top of the hill we saw the sun 
descend, and the mountains of the Holy Land 
shone with a bright evening glow. The flocks 
of camels were being driven home. The 
daughters of the Bedouins led the sheep and 
goats to the well of Abraham — drew the water 
into the drinking channels, and hastened with 
their animals to the distant tents. Our sheikh, 
with a few chosen companions, rode slowly and 
solemnly on finely-caparisoned dromedaries to 
the chiefs of the shepherds, to receive a 
hearty welcome, and to partake of a lamb. 
It seemed to us as though the words of the 
patriarchs resounded from the lovely hills ; 
and as if we in the valleys could hear the 
rustling of their steps. 

As Abraham once journeyed from Beersheba 
to Moriah, to offer up his beloved son Isaac 
to the Lord ; and as hosts of believing Israelites 
went up from Beersheba to Jerusalem, singing 
psalms in lofty chorus, there to keep the feast 
in grateful memory of their deliverance — so 
we, on the morning of Palm Sunday, struck 
our tents ; that, leaving the borders of the 
Promised Land, we might spend Good Friday 

L 



146 THE ASCENT TO JERUSALEM. 



at Golgotha ! The way led over undulating 
hills, large valleys opening between them, 
adorned with meadows and green fields, and 
intersected by deep trenches, formed by the 
fructifying rain of the winter. We passed 
several Bedouin encampments ; in one of the 
largest the tents were pitched in the form of a 
square, leaving a wide space in the middle for 
the flocks. They were open towards the sunny 
side, and afforded us many glimpses of pic- 
turesque household scenes. The hills soon 
became steeper and more rocky: the valleys 
narrow, and of small extent, but, protected by 
regular terraces, were covered with corn fields ; 
while in the declivities were trees, particularly 
terebinths. Towards noon, at the end of a 
narrow valley, we perceived, upon the top of a 
hill, the village Dhoheriyeh, the first in the 
Promised Land, surrounded by fresh verdure 
and peaceful flocks. We encamped on some 
beautiful turf near olive trees. Our tent was 
soon beset by inquisitive observers ; and pro- 
visions of all descriptions made us sensible that 
we had come out of the wilderness into " the 
land flowing with milk and honey." 

We were now obliged to separate from our 
faithful guide, Hussein. We had travelled 
with him nearly a month ; and he had never 
afforded us the slightest cause for dissatisfaction. 
We joyfully gave him the promised amount 
for a new coloured dress and turban. The 
worthy sheikh remains in our very affectionate 
remembrance. 

We were but too soon called to experience 
how much we had lost in him. Our new guides 



THE ASCENT TO JERUSALEM. 147 

were larger and stronger, and of a lighter 
colour; but the first glance was sufficient to 
show their want of Bedouin good nature and 
noble bearing. They had also neither drome- 
daries, nor saddles, and we were much in- 
convenienced on wooden pack-saddles, from the 
heavy, fatiguing step of the camels of burden. 
The sky became overcast, and the cold wind 
soon drove against us continual showers of 
rain, such as we had not had since our de- 
parture from Germany. It seemed as though 
we were to feel, near the close of our pil- 
grimage, the hardships we had hitherto been 
spared. Gently-declining hills, level at the 
top, and rough, but not barren, surrounded 
the valleys through which we passed ; and I 
was involuntarily reminded of the Earldom of 
Mark, in Westphalia. We discovered upon 
the hills some districts, hitherto little known. 
Towards noon, the vineyards of Hebron lay 
before us, extending far among the western 
valleys. We thought of Abraham, in the wood 
of Mamre, and of David, whose royal resi- 
dence this place was. The battlements of the 
town were visible in the distance ; and we 
wished to reach it sooner, by turning towards 
the west — but at the end of a nearer path 
between vineyards, a Turkish soldier with a 
drawn sabre approached, and announced to us 
a quarantine of fifteen days in Hebron ! This 
was dreadful news for us, especially with the 
prospect of having to spend the Easter festival 
in gloomy quarantine ! Nothing, however, re- 
mained but to proceed to Hebron. Here we 
made a negociation with an almost-independent,, 

l 2 



148 THE ASCENT TO JERUSALEM. 



avaricious chief. After paying a joint sum of 
six hundred piastres, or forty thalers, he gave 
us the certificate that we had satisfied the 
demands of the quarantine. The appointment 
of a quarantine, at all, was merely to afford him 
a means of extortion, We immediately departed 
out of his reach ; and encamped in about two 
hours by the well of Dirweh. At the side lay 
the ruins of an old basilica ; the hollows in the 
rocks may once have been the abodes of hermits. 
It was a fearfully cold night ; the gloomy ap- 
pearance of our Syrian camel-drivers became still 
more unpleasant to us, by the relation of several 
deeds of robbery and murder that had lately 
taken place ; and the offended guard of a 
sheikh of the neighbouring village did not add 
to our composure. It was certainly the most 
disagreeable night of the journey. 

We struck our tents soon after sunrise ; and 
" behold the winter was past — the rain was 
over and gone — the flowers appeared on the 
earth and the spring was come. Over the 
hills, and through the valleys of the mountain 
of Judah, we approached nearer and nearer 
the high-built town. We read aloud the 
Psalms,f once sung by the tribes of Israel in 
going up together to the city; and rejoiced 
that it was permitted to us 66 to go into the 
house of the Lord, and that our feet should 
stand within thy gates, O, Jerusalem !" 
Passing Solomon's pools, and his charming 
gardens, the way led us by the old aqueduct, 
at the declivity of the mountain, through a 
narrow lovely valley to Bethlehem. 



* Cant.ii. 11, 12. \ Psalms 120 and 132. 



THE ASCENT TO JERUSALEM. 149 

We reached it about noon, and were most 
kindly received at the Latin convent. We 
united in prayer at the birth-place of our Lord, 
but our hearts burned with anticipation of the 
coming day ! My whole life, hitherto, appeared 
to me only as a way to the goal I was so soon 
to reach ! " Israel goeth up to his rest" was 
the text for the day ; and our hearts responded, 
" Arise, and let us go up to Zion !"* 

The longed-for day arrived. The morning 
of Wednesday in the holy week dawned upon 
us. We mounted brisk horses, and hastened 
up the hill., looking down upon a green plain, 
which; at the foot of the lovely Bethlehem, 
is surrounded by mountains. Here " the glory 
of the Lord once appeared ; and the multitude 
of the heavenly host/' praising God, said, 
" Glory to God in the highest : on earth peace ; 
good- will to men 99 f Rich fields, and trees 
in the most luxuriant bloom, surrounded us. 
The way to Zion was covered with pious 
pilgrims, who journeyed up to the city of their 
God. Hill succeeded hill: our longing eyes 
strove to pierce the holy distance ; until, at 
last, on an elevation by the convent of Elijah, 
(the far-sighted seer,) appeared the pinnacles 
of Jerusalem ! 

Full of deep and earnest joy, I retarded the 
progress of my horse. Tears dimmed my 
gaze — for " How is the city desolate, that was 
full of people!" " She is as a widow!" 
Here, appeared the dome of the church of 
the sepulchre at Golgotha; there, in cheerful 



* Jer. xxxi. 6. f Luke ii. H, 



150 THE ASCENT TO JERUSALEM. 

green, the olives of the ascension mountain, 
Weeping and praying, I was borne over the 
plains. " I am not worthy of all the mercy, 
and of all the truth, that thou hast shewn unto 
thy servant !" The thought became still more 
gladdening to my heart. The mediating eye 
of my Saviour beheld these hills ! On these 
paths his step was heard ! This is the town he 
saw and wept over ! Here is the place of the 
cross, where the dreadful guilt of man, and the 
abounding grace of God, were manifested ! 
The shadowy anticipations of my childhood, 
and the inspiring hopes of my youth, were 
realized ! 

We suddenly arrived at a narrow valley, 
with steep cliffs rising precipitously on the 
other side of the hill of Zion. Passing through 
it, we hastened by the Lower Pool up to the 
Jaffa Gate. Our feet stood within the gates 
of Jerusalem ! We entered the narrow road, 
leading into the town, and turned below the 
pool of Hezekiah into the first street, which, 
bending towards the north, passes by Golgotha. 
In a bye-lane, at the end of this, we found 
accommodation in an inn. We first hastened 
to the house of the friendly English consul, 
and found him filling the place of the Prussian 
consuj., who, unfortunately, was absent. We 
then visited Bishop Alexander, with whom we 
were permitted to converse in our dear German 
mother tongue; he immediately took us to 
the afternoon service. In the church upon 
Mount Zion, close to the old castle of David, 
we found about forty Protestants assembled for 
worship. We joined in their prayers and 



THE ASCENT TO JERUSALEM. 151 



songs — listened to a sermon, and heard the 
words, " O sing unto the Lord a new song, 
for he hath done marvellous things ! Enter 
into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his 
courts with praise : be thankful unto him, 
and bless his name. For the Lord is good ; 
his mercy is everlasting ; and his truth en- 
dureth to ail generations. Exalt the Lord 
our God, and worship at his holy hill. Serve 
the Lord with gladness, and come before his 
presence with thanksgiving."* After the ser- 
vice, we became acquainted with the missionary 
Nicolayson, from Sleswig, the minister of the 
little congregation. As his family was absent, 
he pressed us to take up our abode at his 
house ; and what could we more desire than 
to find a home in the holy city in the house of 
an evangelical clergyman ? We repaired to 
his residence, which is upon the summit of 
Mount Zion, near the protestant church, and 
close to the castle of David. Our rooms 
commanded a view of the town, and behind 
it the Mount of Olives, with its ascension 
chapel. Here, in the enjoyment of true 
christian communion, we experienced the truth 
of the motto for the day — " The Lord hath 
chosen Zion ; he hath desired it for his habi- 
tation. This is my rest for ever ; here will I 
dwell, for I have desired it."f 

* Psalms xcviii. and c f Psalm cxxsii. 13, 14. 



CHAPTER II. 



THE EASTER FESTIVAL, 

The sun's rays falling over the Mount of 
Olives upon my couch, woke me on the 
morning of Maunday Thursday. The greatest 
feast of the year was to us the beginning of 
the highest festival- day of our life, in the most 
holy place in all the earth, We wandered 
through the streets of Jerusalem. Come hither 
from the far west, we were delighted with the 
superior stone houses, with their picturesque 
cupolas, and the great cleanliness of the paved 
streets. The city is certainly no longer the 
" most beautiful it is certainly confined and 
narrow; its palaces are destroyed — its temple 
is in ruins ; but it is, nevertheless, advan- 
tageously distinguished from all the other 
eastern cities we had hitherto visited. 

It lies, like an island, between the mountains 
that are " round about Jerusalem, 5 ' and enclose 
it like natural walls. South-east from the 
Mount of Olives is the Mount of Offence ; 
and to the south is the Mount of Evil Counsel, 
from which a mountain chain extends west and 
north to the Mount of Olives. Two deep 
valleys divide the hills of the town ; to the 
east is the valley of Jehoshaphat, or Kedron ; 
and to the west, the narrow and gloomy vale of 
Hinnom, which extends to the south, as far as 



THE EASTER FESTIVAL. 



153 



the valley of Jehoshaphat. Parallel to both 
these, a third valley, not so deep, divides the 
heights of the town into two halves — the 
western, which includes mount Zion, Gihon, 
and Golgotha ; the eastern, Moriah, Acra, and 
Bezetha. 

Through the gate of Zion we went to the 
southern part of the Mount, where, it is 
supposed, the Lord partook of the Passover 
before he suffered. Returning to the Protestant 
place of worship, in which English service 
was held, we heard the prayer of Daniel. 
a Oh ! Lord, let tliine anger and thy fury be 
turned away from thy city Jerusalem, thy 
holy mountain. Behold our desolations, and 
the city that is called by thy name ; " with 
the wonderful promise of the advent of Christ, 
and the ceasing of the sacrifice. Then followed 
the history of the washing of the feet, and 
the Lord's words of deep humiliation at the 
holy supper, with the psalm, fe Thou shalt 
arise, and have mercy upon Zion ; for the time 
to favour her, yea, the set time is come. For 
thy servants take pleasure in her stones, and 
favour the dust thereof. To declare the name 
of the Lord in Zion, and his praise in Jerusalem ; 
when the people are gathered together, and 
the kingdoms, to serve the Lord."* 

Soon after the afternoon service, we walked 
with Mr. Nicolayson to Gethsemane. We went 
through the gate of Zion — the way our Lord, 
perhaps, took when " his soul was exceeding 
sorrowful, even unto death." The road leads 



* Psalm cii. 



154 



THE EASTER FESTIVAL. 



by the walls of the temple, down the declivity 
of Moriah, into the deep valley of the now 
dry brook, Kedron ; and passing the graves 
of Absalom and Jehoshaphat, with those of 
thousands of Jews, who, in the valley of 
Jehoshaphat, await the restoration of Jerusalem, 
it conducts to a garden at the foot of the 
Mount of Olives. A simple stone wall sur- 
rounds it, and eight ancient olive trees extend 
over it their venerable boughs ; they, probably, 
stood here at the time of Christ — for fifteen 
hundred years, at least, it has been considered 
as the scene of the holy passion of the Lord. 

We engaged in prayer, and read the nar- 
rative of the Evangelists. At the entrance, 
Jesus said to the disciples : " Sit ye here, while 
I go and pray yonder." And he took with 
him Peter, James, and John ; and said : " My 
soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death ; 
tarry ye here, and watch with me." But the 
disciples did not watch. The Lord went from 
them about a stone's throw, and fell on his 
face, and prayed : " My Father, if it be pos- 
sible, let this cup pass from me ! Nevertheless, 
not as I will, but as thou wilt." An angel 
appeared from Heaven, strengthening him. 
" And being in an agony, he prayed more 
earnestly : and his sweat was as it were great 
drops of blood falling on the ground ! " The 
temple of the old covenant towered upon the 
lofty heights ; the more glorious temple of the 
new covenant lay in the dust ! Judas, one of 
the twelve, approached with a great host ; they 
were come out as against a murderer, with 
swords and staves, to seize the Lamb of God. 



THE EASTER FESTIVAL. 



155 



" Whom seek ye ? I am He. If, therefore, ye 
seek me, let these go their way." Blessed 
words after his terrible conflict of soul ! Here 
the Lord wrestled with death for the sins of 
the world — here he took our punishment upon 
him, that we might have peace ! These were 
moments never to be forgotten. Around us all 
was still. Some solitary pilgrims were re- 
turning home to the city of their God ; and 
shepherds were conducting their flocks into 
the folds. High above us rose the walls of the 
town, and of the temple, upon which the 
tearful eyes of the Mediator in Gethsemane 
once rested. The full moon shone faintly — 
the, moon that once grew pale over the suffering 
form of the Lamb of God ! 

The declining sun hurried us away. Passing 
through Stephen's gate, we came to the place 
of the Judgment Hall, now occupied by bar- 
racks for Turkish soldiers. Here was the 
judgment seat of Pilate, where the cry of the 
people, " Crucify him, Crucify him," received 
its confirmation. From this house to Golgotha 
is the Via Dolorosa, u the Way of Pain," 
upon which the Lord bore his cross to the 
Place of Skulls. We returned home ; and in 
the blessed evening services of prayer and 
praise offered thanks for the hour in Gethsemane. 

It was the preparation for Good Friday. In 
the evangelical place of worship about twenty 
converted sons of Israel assembled early in the 
morning, to celebrate the day in their ancient 
Hebrew tongue. They sang the Psalms that 
refer to the sufferings of Christ;* and heard 

* Psalms xxii. xl. liv. 



156 



THE EASTER FESTIVAL. 



the narration of the typical sacrifice of Abraham, 
and its wonderful fulfilment in the death of the 
Saviour. Although the Hebrew tongue, in 
which the Lord himself once spoke, is the 
most sublime of all the languages of the earth, 
it never appeared in such majesty to me as at 
the service on mount Zion. The Psalms never 
moved me to such a degree as when I heard 
them on the spot, where, under the direction 
of God's spirit, they were composed by David, 
and sung by Israel, in the time of its glory, 
and by God in the form of a servant, on the 
heights of the daughter of Zion ! 

The English service was afterwards per- 
formed : the Epistle exhibited the true offering 
of the New Testament, in contrast to the 
shadows of the old covenant ; and the Gospel 
narrated the history of the death of Christ. 
The Bishop's chaplain delivered an affecting 
discourse upon the complaint of Zion, in which 
he showed an intimation of the lamentation of 
the dying Saviour : " Behold, and see if there 
be any sorrow like unto my sorrow !"* 

In the afternoon, I visited a venerable German 
pair. Driven by their aspirations to Jerusalem, 
in the evening of their lives they had left 
their home in Bessarabia, to wait upon their 
Saviour in Golgotha. They had come in the 
persuasion that, were they once in J erusalem, 
all outward care would vanish. The poor 
people had confounded the ruins of the earthly, 
with the glory of the heavenly Jerusalem. I 
found with them another pair from the Wupper- 



* Lam. i. 12. 



THE EASTER FESTIVAL. 



157 



thai ; they were true children of the blessed 
valleys but they also complained that at home 
they had not expected to find Zion in such a 
state of bondage. With these dear christians 
we went to the service about three o'clock. 
For the first time for half-a-year, we enjoy ed, 
in an assembly of about forty Germans, true 
heart communion. With unspeakable rapture, 
we joined in our German Psalms on mount 
Zion. How delightful were the home tunes 
to our ears ! How inspiring were the words — 
" God will save Zion, and will build the cities 
of Judah, that they may dwell there, and 
have it in possession.' 5 * With what happiness 
did, we hear the words of the prayer used at 
home, the beautiful prayer of Chrysostom ; 
and when Nicolayson preached a sermon, near 
the Place of Skulls, from the text, " It is 
finished laying the words of the Saviour 
upon our hearts, not only with German tones, 
but also with German depth and fervour — 
there, at the hour of Christ's death, we received 
a Good Friday blessing, such as can only be 
experienced in Jerusalem ! 

It was the hour when the earth once quaked, 
and the rocks were torn asunder, and the vail 
of the temple was rent in twain, from the top 
to the bottom. Then was the sentence over 
the temple of the old covenant pronounced. 
Titus only executed what the rending of the 
vail intimated. 

We thought of this while repairing, with 
Mr. Nicolayson and the family of the Bishop, 



* Psalm lxix. 35. 



158 



THE EASTER FESTIVAL. 



to the place of the Jews' lamentations. The 
way led by the corners and lanes of the city, 
through the stalls where the Arabs bought and 
sold over the stones of the temple, which were 
profaned in these shops by their infidel feet. 
At last, through a small street, we reached a 
spot on the south-western side of the temple- 
mountain, which still shows the old foundation 
walls of the fore-court ; immense blocks of 
stone, upon which the new walls of the mosque 
are erected. This is the nearest point to their 
former sanctuary which the J ews are permitted 
to approach ; and this, only by payment of a 
considerable entrance fee. Every Friday they 
repair here to weep over the destroyed temple, 
with its desolated walls, and departed glory ! 
As they once sat and wept by the waters of 
Babylon when they remembered Zion, so the 
elders of the daughter of Zion now lay their 
white heads in the dust by the fallen walls of 
the temple. Their streaming eyes could scarcely 
discern the words in the Lamentations of 
Jeremiah, which they read in prayer. There, 
a band of youths, stretched upon their faces, 
and sobbing aloud, wetted the penitential Psalms 
with tears ; while farther off, on the opposite 
side, the young women of Jerusalem bent 
their heads with their long hair to the ground. 
Their eyes ran down with tears over the sorrow 
of their people, and they raised their hands 
in lamentation towards heaven. " From the 
daughter of Zion all her beauty is departed ; 
her people fall into the hand of the enemy, 
and no one helpeth her : and the adversaries 
see her, and mock at her sabbaths. How 



THE EASTER FESTIVAL. 



159 



hath the Lord covered the daughter of Zion 
with a cloud in his anger. The crown is fallen 
from her head !"* 

How different was the sound of the Psalms 
in the evangelical place of worship, sung by 
the sons of Israel after the flesh ! O that the 
covering were taken from Israel's eyes, and 
that they understood the voice of the Lord, 
who will invest them with more than the glory 
of Solomon! 

After sun-set, we went to the Church of the 
Holy Sepulchre, to attend the ceremonials of 
the Roman Catholic Christians. The court 
before the entrance to the church was covered 
with the tables of those who sold crucifixes, 
rosaries, holy pictures, and candles. We passed 
through with difficulty ; Turkish guards, with 
coffee and pipes, were resting in a divan at the 
entrance, to keep order among the crowd of 
christians. The great church was filled with a 
restless multitude. A crucifix was soon borne 
out of the Latin chapel, which was followed 
by rows of christians in long procession. They 
walked after it to the different chapels of the 
church, in order to represent the particular 
transactions preceding the death of Christ. After 
the primitive custom, songs were struck up, and 
seven sermons were delivered in Spanish, 
Italian, German, and Arabic. We followed 
the throng ; and, at last, ascended mount 
Calvary. Close to the Place of Skulls, where 
it is believed the Lord was nailed to the cross 5 
the crucifix was laid on the ground; and a 



* Lam. i. 6, 7; ii. 1 ; v, 16. 



160 



THE EASTER FESTIVAL. 



German monk, from the province of Prussia, 
delivered a sermon from that passage in the 
Psalms : " They pierced my hands and my 
feet."* He spoke of the double language of 
Christ to the sinner ; through the voice of his 
words, when he said : " Father, forgive them, 
for they not what they do," and through the 
voice of his wounds, which proclaim the 
dreadful punishment, and also the forgiveness 
of sin. He spoke with the energy and power 
with which a man in such a place must speak. 
He addressed the hardened sinners, especially 
the pilgrims from a distance, with sole reference 
to Christ's substitutionary merit. We stood 
upon Golgotha : here hung the most despised 
one, full of pain and sickness — his head full 
of blood and wounds ; full of suffering and 
scorn ; and his temples bound in derision with 
a crown of thorns ! u Father, forgive them, for 
they know not what they do." fe Verily, I say 
unto thee, to-day shalt thou be with me in 
Paradise." " Woman, behold thy son; behold 
thy mother." " My God, my God, why hast 
thou forsaken me ? " "I thirst. — It is finished. 
Father, into thy hands T commend my spirit ; 
and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost. 
And there was darkness over all the land." 
Oh ! world, behold thy life hanging upon the 
cross — thy salvation sinks into death. Who has 
thus stricken thee ? — It is I. It is a blessed 
position to stand beneath the cross of Jesus, 
and to behold his wounds. 

The procession went on to the stone, on 

* Psalm xxii. 16. 



THE EASTER "FESTIVAL. 



161 



which the Bishop performs the washing. We 
hastened onwards to the holy grave ; first en- 
tering the Chapel of the Sepulchre, at the spot 
where the angel stood at the resurrection, and 
then advancing into the interior. During the 
confusion in the great church many had re- 
mained here on their knees, weeping and 
praying. Thousands of favoured pilgrims, like 
these, had wept and prayed here. It seemed 
to me as if the souls of those perfected ones 
hovered around me now ; and as if my Saviour 
now rested in this grave from the agony of 
death, which he suffered also for me ! His love, 
and my ingratitude, penetrated my heart. The 
marks of his grace through the history of the 
christian church, and through the days of 
my life, appeared to me with heavenly clear- 
ness. The prayers of my friends, the prayers of 
the beloved church, which had hitherto borne 
me on, now came before my mind. I prayed 
for them at the grave of our Saviour ! With a 
trembling heart I departed. I had celebrated 
Good Friday. 

The Great Sabbath followed. The women, 
who had come with Christ out of Galilee, 
beheld the grave and how his body was laid ; 
and on the Sabbath they rested according to 
the law. We enjoyed a day of silent medi- 
tation after months of unrest. It was, also, a 
day of preparation for the Holy Communion, 
which we intended to celebrate on the morrow. 
I had not received it since my departure from 
the beloved congregation — from the dear church 
of my home. How many heavy, how many 
more happy hours had been, since then, ac- 

M 



162 



THE EASTER FESTIVAL. 



corded me. At the evening service we listened 
to the words : " Let us, therefore, fear, lest a 
promise being left us of entering into his rest, 
any of you should seem to come short of it. 
There remaineth a rest for the people of God."* 
We then went out at the Jaffa Gate, and upon 
the north-western height, under the wide- 
spreading boughs of a large tree near the 
fresh green of the olive grove, we looked down 
upon the Holy City reposing in Sabbath still- 
ness, while the Mount of Olives glowed with 
the rays of the evening sun. 

Early on Easter Sunday, we went to the 
grave of the Lord. The stone was rolled 
away — the grave was empty. " The Lord is 
risen and the answer, " Yes, he is indeed 
risen," trembled on our lips. There were not 
only weeping Mary, and some poor fishermen 
hastening there ; a host of christians in holiday 
attire, and priests, adorned with gold and 
precious stones, marched round the chapel of the 
grave with solemn steps, while joyous songs were 
raised, assisted by the far-resounding organ. 

At ten o'clock we found, in the Protestant place 
of worship, an assembly of more than a hundred 
evangelical christians. Bishop Alexander, (who 
in the heavenly Jerusalem has now gone in to 
the supper of the Lamb,) preached of the 
Lamb of God who gave his life an offering 
for sin, with a power and emotion as if he had 
anticipated that it would be his last Easter 
sermon in the militant church — in the church 
upon the ruins of Zion. We joined in the 
sacramental Psalm : u He hath made his won- 
* Heb. iv. 1, 9. 



THE EASTER FESTIVAL. 



163 



derful works to be remembered ; the Lord is 
gracious and full of compassion. He hath 
given meat unto them that fear him ; he will 
ever be mindful of his covenant. 5 '* We heard 
the old communion prayers ; and sixty-four 
evangelical christians received the body and 
blood of their Saviour, on the spot where the 
Holy Sacrament was instituted, in remembrance 
of his death and participation in his life. So 
many Protestant communicants had never before 
assembled at the table of the Lord on Mount 
Zion. It was the most blessed communion of 
my life — a day of true refreshing ! The ruins 
of the earthly Jerusalem appeared before my 
delighted eyes : intervening centuries seemed 
to me but as a moment ; and it was as 
though the Lord himself, in his glorified form, 
appeared in the midst of us ; as if the marks 
of the nails were visible in his hands — as if I 
knew him in the breaking of bread ! " Did not 
our hearts burn within us ?" was our language 
in rising from our knees. That which had 
been prayerfully desired for us 'in leaving 
home, was abundantly fulfilled in the most 
holy hour of our journey. 

At three o'clock, we again assembled at the 
German service, and joined in the Psalm : 
66 This is the day that the Lord hath made ; we 
will rejoice and be glad in it."f We united in 
prayer, and then the triumphant hymn of 
faith , composed by the enlightened Princess of 
Brandenburg, resounded far : — 

" Jesus, my trust and Saviour lives." 

* Psalm iii. 4, 5. f Psalm cxviii. 24. 

M 2 



164 



THE EASTER FESTIVAL. 



German choruses have an animating power 
upon my heart ; times without number they 
have prepared me for the blessed work of 
testifying of Christ ; but I am unable to express 
the triumph with which I now joined in this song 
of our German evangelical church upon Mount 
Zion. Mr. Nicolayson afterwards preached 
from the words : " He is risen." He dwelt on 
the events recorded between the evening of 
Good Friday and that of Easter Day ; praying 
that the power of the resurrection might be 
proved in the heart of every one present. 

The service was scarcely ended, when a new 
ceremony began. A son of Israel, according 
to the flesh, was admitted by the Bishop into 
the christian church by the holy ordinance of 
baptism. As in the Passover days, Israel was 
delivered in the waters of the Red Sea from 
the slavery of Egypt and the might of Pharaoh ; 
and as the people were once baptized unto 
Moses in the cloud and in the sea, so this son 
of Israel was now taken from the bondage of 
the law into the communion of the Easter 
princes. It was evening, and in the rapture 
of our hearts we felt that the Lord came into 
the midst of us, and said " Peace be unto 
you !" 

When we returned home, some Christians and 
a Mohammedan had brought Mr. Nicolayson 
some little presents as tokens of their grati- 
tude ; and now a J ew also came, having waited 
till the dusk of the night, " for fear of the 
Jews." We concluded the day in the amiable 
and pleasant circle of the Bishop. The little 
children sang some German hymns that filled 



THE HISTORY OF JERUSALEM. 165 

me with melancholy recollections, while the 
eldest daughter struck her harp upon Mount 
Zion. With psaltery and harp we began the 
triumphal song : " Praise the Lord all the 
world." My voice was stifled with tears of 
gratitude. 



CHAPTER III. 

THE HISTORY OF JERUSALEM. 

The ceremonial of the feast was rendered 
doubly interesting to us by the remembrance of 
the history of this town, during many thousands 
of years. The first mention of Jerusalem 
occurs in the account of Melchizedec's meeting 
with Abraham. On the return of the latter 
from the slaughter of the kings he was met by 
Melchizedec, king of Salem, a priest of the 
most high God; whose father, mother, and 
descent are not mentioned in scripture, and 
who knowing neither beginning of days, nor 
end of life, is made like unto the Son of God. 
He brought Abraham bread and wine ; the 
gifts which Christ, as the true high priest, 
offers in the Holy Sacrament. And his dwelling 
was in Salem, (i.e. Peace) — probably on 
Mount Zion. Moriah was not built upon at this 



166 THE HISTORY OF JERUSALEM. 

time ; for here Abraham performed his typical 
sacrifice. As, in after days, innumerable sub- 
stitutionary sacrifices were slain in the Holy 
City ; so Abraham took a ram, and offered it 
up for a burnt-offering instead of his son. 
After this double consecration of Jerusalem, 
we find it again mentioned, when Israel 
entered into the Promised Land. The Jebu- 
sites had possession of the town, which was 
called Jerusalem, or the Seat of Peace. Joshua 
drew the boundary of the tribes through the 
valley of Hinnom, close to the south side of 
the town ; so that all below this belonged to the 
tribe of Judah, though the town itself fell to 
the tribe of Benjamin. It was conquered 
after Joshua's death through the co-operation 
of the tribe of Judah, which inhabited it jointly 
with that of Benjamin, although it appeared 
that Mount Zion always, or for the most part, 
remained in the possession of the Jebusites, 
After having reigned seven years as king in 
Hebron, David first took Mount Zion, which 
he surrounded with a wall, and called it the 
City of David. Under his sway, Jerusalem 
became a splendid and important town ; and its 
consequence was further increased by the ark 
of the covenant being taken by David to 
Mount Zion, and by the Lord establishing his 
dwelling on this mountain. Therefore " out 
of Zion, the perfection of beauty, God hath 
shined." All the glory of Jerusalem centered 
in Mount Zion. Henceforth we find the town 
of Jerusalem repeatedly denominated Zion in 
the Psalms ; the constant singing of which 
established this name as the designation of the 



THE HISTORY OF JERUSALEM. 167 

seat of God, so that it continued to be used in 
after-days, when the ark of the covenant being 
deposited in the temple, Mount Zion lost its 
greatest glory. 

This period soon arrived. Mount Moriah, 
which even in David's time had received a new 
consecration — for there the destroying angel 
stayed his hand — this holy mountain, though 
lower than all the other hills about Jerusalem, 
the Lord had chosen that he might exalt it 
above all other mountains on the earth. " Yea, 
why leap ye, ye high hills ? this is the hill 
which God desireth to dwell in." 

Here Solomon, the Prince of Peace, was 
permitted to build a temple to the Lord; for 
the construction of which Lebanon yielded up 
its monster stones, and on whose ruins we 
still gaze with wonder, although three thousand 
years have rolled away. 

Cedars were employed in its construction, 
being as abundant in Jerusalem as the wild 
fig trees were in the valleys. When all was 
finished, a cloud overshadowed the holiest of 
all, and the glory of the Lord filled the house. 
Then Solomon blessed the whole congregation 
of Israel ; and kneeling down he extended his 
hands toward heaven, and addressed the Lord 
in the priestly prayer that has been used at 
the consecration of innumerable churches by 
believing petitioners. He prayed that the Lord's 
eyes might be open towards the place, day and 
night; and if Israel, or the stranger coming 
out of a far country, should suffer from any 
plague or sickness, and should pray toward 
this house, the Lord might hear in Heaven, 



168 THE HISTORY OF JERUSALEM. 



his dwelling place., and do all for which he 
was petitioned. 

The king now built himself a house of cedar 
wood, glittering with gold ; and surrounded 
the town with a wall, which, enclosing Mount 
Zion on the western side, leaned against the 
temple itself, protected by high walls. The 
town was now finished ; and the tribes of Israel 
went up three times in the year to serve the 
Lord. And when the people and the kings 
came together, and saw its glory, they confessed 
in astonishment, " I believed not the works 
until I came, and mine eyes had seen it ; and 
behold the half has not been told me." 

The city of God was made so beautiful for 
the sake of the people of God ; but when they 
departed from him its glory vanished. Even 
during the lustre of Solomon's rule its fall 
began. Rehoboam lost ten tribes of the 
kingdom, and Zion's civil importance sank. 
Jeroboam set up calves for worship in Dan 
and Bethel ; and the number of those who 
came to the feast was trifling. Soon Shishak, 
king of Egypt, approached and took away 
the treasures from the temple. Hezekiah again 
did what was pleasing to the Lord, and obeyed 
the word of the prophet Isaiah ; therefore, when 
Jerusalem was hard pressed by Sennacherib, 
king of Assyria, the angel of the Lord smote 
the Assyrian camp ; - — but in spite of the 
threatening predictions of numerous prophets, 
the apostacy increased under Manasseh and 
Amon. Josiah, by a zealous reformation of 
the worship, averted the punishment for a 
short time. Nebuchadnezzar, king of Chaldea, 



THE HISTORY OF JERUSALEM. 169 



or Babylon, then approached, and Jerusalem 
was taken and plundered under Jehoiachin. 
The eyes of Zedekiah were put out, and he, 
with the chief of the people, was carried captive 
to Babylon, The treasures and the costly 
vessels of the temple were taken ; the house of 
the Lord was burnt ; and, with the few who 
remained, Jeremiah sat among the ruins of 
Jerusalem, bewailing in his lamentations the 
fall of the city of God, which had been as a 
princess among the heathen, and a queen in 
the land, but from which all the beauty had 
departed. 

The captives of Israel sat and wept by the 
waters of Babylon, when they remembered 
Zion. They returned to the God of their 
fathers, and prayed to him, directing towards 
Jerusalem their tearful eyes. He heard their 
petitions in Heaven, his dwelling place. While 
the Chaldean king was carousing at a splendid 
entertainment, the fingers of a man's hand 
appeared, and wrote " Mene, Mene, Tekel, 
Upharsin." The same night Belshazzar was 
slain by Cyrus, king of the Medes and Persians. 
Fulfilling the predictions made by Isaiah re- 
specting them, two hundred years before, he 
immediately commanded that all the people of 
God should return to Jerusalem, with treasures, 
to build the house of the God of Israel. Fifty 
thousand Israelites, with their servants and 
maids, and two hundred singers, collected under 
Zerrubbabel of the tribe of David, and under 
Joshua, the high priest. Seventy years from 
the commencement of their captivity, they re- 
turned home to Jerusalem ; and the builders 



170 THE HISTORY OF JERUSALEM. 

soon laid the foundation of the temple. With 
trumpets and cymbals all the people praised 
the Lord with a loud shout ; but many of the 
old priests and Levites who had seen the first 
house, wept aloud, so that the people could not 
discern the noise of the shout of joy from the 
noise of the weeping. Did the hands and feet 
of the people become weary with the work, 
Haggai encouraged them by the prophecy of 
u the glory of this latter house ;" or Zechariah, 
by the prospect of " the king of the daughter 
of Zion riding upon an ass, and upon a colt, 
the foal of an ass, just and haying salvation." 
Thus the temple was finished b. c. 515 ; and 
the children of Israel celebrated the Passover 
with joy. 

But the building of the town proceeded 
slowly. In 445, when Nehemiah, at the king's 
court, asked a returning Israelite " concerning 
Jerusalem," and received for answer, " the 
walls are broken down, and the gates are burned 
with fire," he wept, and mourned several days : 
and afterwards, with the authority and presents 
of the king of Persia, repaired to Jerusalem. 
He rode by night about the gates and valleys 
of the town ; and said to the rulers of the 
people : " Come, let us build up the wall, that 
we be no more a reproach." When Sanballat, 
the prince of the Samaritans, who, at the time 
of the captivity, had entered the forsaken land, 
endeavoured by his disputes to hinder the 
building of the wall, each of the labourers had 
his sword girded by his side : 66 with one of 
his hands he wrought in the work, and with the 
other he held a weapon." After the completion 



THE HISTORY OF JERUSALEM. 1T1 

of the walls, thanksgivings were appointed, 
and the Levites went round the town with 
cymbals and harps : " and the joy of Jerusalem 
was heard afar off." Nehemiah took the 
direction of the civil affairs, as Ezra did that 
of the worship ; and now were heard the 
words of Malachi, which, in the centuries of 
prophetic silence, previous to the time of John 
the Baptist, comforted the believing waiting 
people : — " The Lord whom ye seek will sud- 
denly come to his temple, even the messenger 
of the covenant, whom ye delight in." 

When, in 331, Alexander the Great had 
broken the might of the Persians, the high 
priest, Jaddus, at the command of God went 
out at the gates of Jerusalem to meet him. 
The king recognized in him the man who, 
before his march against the Persians, had 
appeared in a dream encouraging him; and 
with rich gifts Alexander made sacrifice to 
the Lord of Sabaoth. This offering was of 
greater importance from the fact that, during his 
domination, the Greek language was that most 
universally diffused ; and by the translation of the 
Old Testament, soon afterwards accomplished, 
the word of God was made known to the 
heathen, and prepared them for the reception of 
Christianity. After the death of Alexander, 
Jerusalem soon fell into the possession of the 
king of Syria, under whom it enjoyed peace; 
until, after an insurrection, Antiochus Epiphanes, 
B.C. 169, plundered the temple, tore down the 
walls, and built a citadel upon Mount Acra, close 
to the temple, and commanding a view of it. 
Cruel persecutions led in the idol worship ; 



172 THE HISTORY OF JERUSALEM. 

but God soon raised up Matthias the Mac- 
cabee ; who, with his sons, led out the bands 
of the faithful against their oppressors ; and, 
after a year, Judas Maccabeus was able to 
celebrate the festival of the temple consecration. 
After a long warfare, his brother Simon was 
acknowledged as independent high priest by 
the king of Syria. The Maccabees tore the 
citadel down, carried Mount Acra away, and 
filled up the valley between it and Moriah ; so 
that Acra was now no higher than Moriah: 
and it appeared as though the two mountains 
had almost melted into one another. 

The rule of these high priests, who soon 
preferred the name of king to that of priest, 
was cruel and oppressive ; and even the 
members of the house disputed so violently 
among one another, that the Roman Pompey, 
availing himself of so favourable an opportunity, 
besieged, took, and plundered the town, b. c. 63. 
Many kings contested for its possession ; and, 
at last, the Idumean Herod, who was descended 
neither from the people of Israel, nor from 
Aaron as priest, nor David as king, established 
himself in the sovereignty, by means of a close 
alliance with Rome. He extended the citadel 
of Acra to the fortress of Antonia. Its site 
is now occupied by the barracks of the Turkish 
troops. Being fond of costly edifices, he 
adorned the temple with a magnificence it 
had never known before, and founded a 
splendid palace on Mount Zion. 

But " the sceptre had departed from Judah 
and under the government of Herod, notable 
for deeds of sin and murder, the eternal light 



THE HISTORY OF JERUSALEM. 173 



appeared amid the darkness of the earth. In 
the city of David, the Saviour of the world 
was born, " which is Christ the Lord." Herod 
sought to slay the new-born child, but he was 
soon removed. Worms consumed his living 
body, and an inward mortification raged in his 
bones. After his death, the land, at the desire 
of the people, was ruled by Roman governors. 
Under Pontius Pilate, John the Baptist ap- 
peared to prepare the way for him who was to 
come. Now the blessed time arrived for 
Jerusalem, when God, who in the first temple 
only had appeared in a cloud, " became flesh 
and dwelt among us." The gracious words 
proceeding from his lips were heard in the 
halls of the temple. The thousands of Jews, 
who, by the easy communication subsisting 
between all the parts of the Roman empire, 
were able to repair to J erusalem, at every feast, 
from the countries whither they were scattered, 
could behold the Lamb of God ; and return 
to their homes as messengers of joy. But of 
this we do not hear. The tears of the Lord 
over Jerusalem were in vain : it did not know 
in its day the things belonging to its peace ; 
they were hidden from its eyes. 

There was certainly a respite, as Daniel 
after the number of the years had predicted. 
Herod Agrippa, grandson of Herod the Great, 
and like him in his rage for building, con- 
structed, in consequence of the large increase 
of population, a third wall round the northern 
part of the town ; the side least fortified by 
nature. It inclosed Bezetha, north of Acra, 
with Gihon and Golgotha, and extended north 



174 



THE HISTORY OF JERUSALEM. 



of the temple to Mount Zion, in the form of a 
large bow. The limits of Jerusalem were 
wider than they had ever been before ; but the 
people constantly became more degenerate. 
Tumult and insurrection broke out ; and a 
momentary success induced them to attempt to 
free themselves from the Roman yoke. Troops 
were raised, and governors appointed. Among 
them was J osephus, who fortified Mount Tabor ; 
and has left us a minute description of the 
succeeding time of horror. The accomplishment 
of Moses' prediction approached : " The Lord 
shall bring a nation against thee from far, 
from the end of the earth, as swift as the eagle 
flieth ; a nation whose tongue thou shalt not 
understand ; a nation of fierce countenance, 
which shall not regard the person of the old, 
nor shew favour to the young : and he shall 
eat the fruit of thy cattle, and the fruit of thy 
land, until thou be destroyed. And he shall 
besiege thee in all thy gates, until thy high 
and fenced walls come down, wherein thou 
trustedst. And thou shalt eat the fruit of 
thine own body ; the flesh of thy sons, and of 
thy daughters. The tender and delicate woman 
among you, which would not adventure to set the 
sole of her foot upon the ground, for delicateness 
and tenderness, will eat her sons for want of 
all things secretly in the siege and straitness, 
wherewith thine enemy shall distress thee in 
thy gates." * Vespasian and Titus, with the 
eagles of the Roman legions, approached. The 
Christians fled to Pella, on the other side of 



* Deut. xxviii. 49 — 57. 



THE HISTORY OF JERUSALEM. 175 

Jordan : but the Jews being assembled at the 
feast, to the number of more than a million, 
soon began in the besieged city to suffer from 
hunger. The numerous parties among them 
contended furiously among each other ; scenes 
of the most dreadful misery followed ; and a 
mother consumed her own child, so that even the 
enemy shuddered at the sight : many hundred 
thousands were slain; and on the 10th of August, 
contrary to the wishes of Titus, the temple 
was enveloped in flames, and the Most Holy 
was consumed. Defenceless old men, women, 
and children, were murdered, and the blood 
flowed in torrents ; but the Jews remained in 
possession of the strong fortress on Mount Zion 
until the 8th of September, when it, too, was 
taken. The Romans continued to plunder 
until nothing more was left, when they de- 
molished the town and temple. Only three 
towers remain to testify of the enormous size 
of the walls of Jerusalem. Josephus affirms, 
that ninety-seven thousand were taken prisoners, 
and one million, one hundred thousand were 
slain. They did not anticipate this, when they 
exclaimed, " His blood be upon us, and upon 
our children !" Titus carried the vessels of 
the temple with him on his triumphal march to 
Rome ; and the arch of Titus still remains there, 
a memorial of God's righteous punishment. 
Among the vessels are the seven branched 
candlesticks, and the great trumpets. Medals 
represent the captive daughters of Judah 
leaning, with fettered hands, against a palm tree. 

When Adrian, seventy years after, en- 
deavoured to plant a Roman colony in the 



176 THE HISTORY OF JERUSALEM. 



town, the Jews revolted under one Barcocba, 
Son of the Stars, whom they considered as 
" the star out of Jacob." But they were again 
conquered. The town was rebuilt by Adrian, 
and the walls re-erected ; but the greater part of 
Mount Zion remained without, as an arable 
field. The city received the name of Aelia 
Capitolina, and the Jews were forbidden to 
approach it on pain of death. Two hundred 
years after, they received permission, on pay- 
ment of a considerable duty, to enter it on one 
day of the year. A statue of Venus was set 
up on the site of the Holy Sepulchre. But 
the Christians were now allowed to establish 
themselves in Jerusalem, and an uninterrupted 
succession of bishops continued there till the 
time of Constantine. Thus the knowledge of 
the place of the crucifixion, and the grave of 
Christ, may have been kept up ; it would, at 
least, be much more remarkable, if, during 
the presence of Christians, the holy places had 
fallen into oblivion, than if a fixed and certain 
transmission of them had been preserved. In 
the third century, we hear of pilgriming 
believers : but when Constantine became a 
Christian, his mother, the empress Helena, at 
the age of eighty years, travelled with youthful 
vigour to the Holy Land. She founded churches 
at Bethlehem, and on the mount of Olives. At 
her request, Constantine built a splendid chapel 
over the holy sepulchre, and united to it a 
large basilica — a church the size and magnificent 
endowment of which are minutely described 
to us. The number of pilgrims was now 
constantly on the increase. Hosts of monks 



THE HISTORY OF JERUSALEM. 177 

and hermits settled in the Holy Land, and 
facilitated the admission of the pilgrims. Julian 
the apostate, it is true, endeavoured to lower 
the christian importance of the town, by giving 
the Jews permission to rebuild the temple ; 
but, on excavating for the foundation, flames 
of fire burst forth, thus delaying the work ; 
which the death of Julian, and the interdiction 
of the new emperor, would otherwise have 
rendered impossible. In the period that fol- 
lowed, when the christian church, by its bitter 
contentions, sank very low, Jerusalem, on 
account of the multitude of its monks and 
the large number of its pilgrims, shared the 
same melancholy fate. Justinian, however, 
increased the external magnificence of the town 
by building upon the Place Ophel, to the 
south of the temple, a stately church, to the 
honour of Mary — the present mosque, El Aksa. 

But notwithstanding the invasion of the 
Persian king, Chosroe, Jerusalem did not think 
of the things belonging to its peace ; and, in 
636, it was conquered by the Mohammedans, 
under Caliph Omar; and the whole of Syria 
came under the sway of the crescent. Omar 
built a magnificent mosque upon the ruins of 
the temple, surmounted by a cupola. It now 
forms, with the mosque El Aksa, the great 
Haram-el-Scherif, which is one of the most 
holy places for the Mussulmans. The projecting 
shaft of a column in the wall of the mosque, 
close by the golden gate above the valley of 
Jehoshaphat, is shewn as the spot from which 
Mahomet will judge the world. Thus Jerusalem 
is the most holy place of the three great 



178 



THE HISTORY OF JERUSALEM. 



religions of the earth — the Jewish, Christian, 
and Mohammedan. The Mohammedans, at 
first, were very lenient to their brethren of 
other beliefs, and put no hinderances in the 
pilgrims' way ; they also left the church of 
the Holy Sepulchre inviolate ; because, in 
their opinion, not Christ, but a phantom, 
was crucified instead of him. The renowned 
Haroun Alraschid, the caliph of Bagdad, even 
sent the emperor Charlemagne the keys of the 
Holy Sepulchre and Golgotha. Upon this 
the emperor and his followers raised the position 
of the christians by rich gifts, and increased 
the splendour of their churches. But Jerusalem 
was destined soon to suffer by the factions 
of the caliphs ; and, under the half-frenzied 
Hakem of Egypt, the founder of the Druse 
religion, the churches, and especially that of 
the Holy Sepulchre, were, in the year 1000, 
completely destroyed. 

But they were soon rebuilt ; for the sufferings 
of the christians increased to such a degree, 
that Peter of Amiens, on returning from a 
painful pilgrimage, called upon the christians 
of the west for aid. With the permission of 
the Pope, he preached a crusade to the Holy 
Sepulchre with overpowering eloquence, and 
fastened a red cross upon the shoulders of those 
who were willing to shed their blood in 
rescuing the place of the cross of Christ from 
the hands of the infidels. The first host was 
destroyed upon its march ; but the second, 
under Godfrey of Bouillon, appeared on the 
7th of July, 1099, before the gates of Jerusalem. 
The oppressive heat of the summer, the want 



THE HISTORY OF JERUSALEM. 179 

of provisions, and, above all, the scarcity of 
water, placed the crusaders in a very trying 
position; but their glowing hearts, animated 
by the thought of Golgotha, overcame all 
difficulties. Although the mountains and valleys 
round Jerusalem drank the blood of the faithful, 
and were covered with their bodies, Godfrey 
of Bouillon scaled the walls on the 15th of July. 
With him began a succession of christian kings, 
who sat upon the throne of David eight and 
eighty years, and established many churches 
and convents. The great mosque of Omar 
was converted into a cathedral, and the chapels 
of Mount Golgotha and the Holy Sepulchre 
were united into one large church, of which 
the foundation walls are still remaining. 

But the love of christians for Jerusalem 
grew cold. In 1187, the sultan Saladin was 
again able to conquer the town ; and although 
several other crusades were undertaken, and 
the town once fell for a short time by treaty 
into the hands of the christians, in 1244 they 
lost it for ever ; and, as part of the Egyptian 
kingdom, it fell into the hands of the Moham- 
medans. The pious enthusiasm which, for nearly 
two hundred years, had filled the European 
christian heart with love for Jerusalem, vanished. 
For six hundred years, we hear little of the 
holy city; a few pilgrims only brought home 
intelligence of the fallen daughter of Zion. 
At the time of the Reformation, in 1517, it 
fell into the hands of the Ottomans, who 
continue to govern it. In 1542, sultan Solyman 
rebuilt the walls, nearly in the circuit marked 
out by Adrian and Herod Agrippa, and they 

n 2 



180 THE HISTORY OF JERUSALEM. 

continue so to the present day. The French, 
under Napoleon, did not reach the town. In 
October, 1808, the greater part of the church 
of the Holy Sepulchre was consumed by fire ; 
and the Greeks, who quickly rebuilt it in its 
present form, limited the Roman Catholic 
Christians to a side chapel, although from the 
time of the crusades they had had possession 
of a large portion of the church. 

When, in 1832, Syria came under the power 
of Mehemet Ali, the pasha of Egypt, Jerusalem 
opened its gates to him ; but two years after- 
wards, it had to suffer from an insurrection of 
the Fellahs, who threw themselves into the 
town. It was, however, the beginning of a 
new and better era for the christians : persecution 
almost ceased ; and rest and safety which, for 
centuries long had been unknown to the unhappy 
land, returned. The contentions of christian 
parties, and the corruptions arising from various 
modes of worship, were diminished. European 
travellers were treated with greater considera- 
tion, and information respecting the holy city 
was much extended. 

It seemed as if the curse over Jerusalem was 
past ; when, in 1840, the rulers favourable to 
Christianity were driven away by the European 
cannon; and the possession of Jerusalem 
was given back to the Turks. All rest and 
security is now at an end ; the sheikhs of 
the different Arab tribes have raised their 
heads ; and the Bedouins encamp by the very 
gates of the city. War, and the cries of war, 
are heard before the walls ; anxiety and terror 
fill the inhabitants ; so that the Turkish military 



THE HISTORY OF JERUSALEM. 181 

are under the protection of the Bedouins, 
against whom they were sent. While under 
Mehemet Ali's sovereignty, the fields were 
again cultivated— the destroyed aqueducts re- 
paired — and the uncommonly fine advantages of 
the land were wisely used — all is now decaying 
more and more. The curse visibly rests upon 
the town; but a fulfilment of the glorious 
promises to Zion occurred to the great thoughts 
of our beloved king; who, after six hundred 
years, again directed the eyes of Europe to the 
Holy Land, to do good to Jerusalem. By his 
mediation, a Protestant Bishop was established 
at Jerusalem; the Great Powers nominated 
consuls in the holy city ; and by the presence 
of these Europeans, the fallen daughter of 
Zion will, at least, be somewhat raised. 

From Melchizedec's time to our own, Jeru- 
salem has been the chief of all the places of the 
earth ; but it has also severely suffered from 
the retributions of divine justice. At least 
two and thirty sieges of the town are re- 
corded. On several occasions, it was entirely 
destroyed ; on others, almost so ; and its ori- 
ginal inhabitants are scattered to all the ends 
of the earth : but the word is fulfilled, " Though 
the earth be removed, and the mountains be 
carried into the midst of the sea ; there is a 
river, the streams whereof shall make glad the 
city of God : the holy place of the tabernacles 
of the Most High. God is in the midst of her ; 
she shall not be moved. God shall help her, 
and that right early ! 59 



CHAPTER IV. 



JERUSALEM AS IT IS. 



It is the bye-gone history of the town, during 
four thousand years, that gives it its importance 
in the eyes of Jews, Mohammedans, and 
Christians. Such as do not consider this, will 
be disappointed in visiting Jerusalem. Many 
travellers complained to us in the Holy City 
itself of the failure of their expectations ; and ex- 
pressed their opinion that there were many spots 
more beautiful, and better worth seeing at home. 
They blamed the representations of earlier 
travellers, who had spoken with such enthusiasm 
of Jerusalem. And, indeed, there is scarcely 
a place in the earth about which statements so 
contradictory have been made ; some, expressive 
of the most fervent admiration ; and others, of 
contemptuous depreciation. This may be partly 
accounted for by the great changes from 
luxuriant verdure to dry sterility, accompanying 
the different seasons of the year ; but the grand 
cause is, that the city, once the most beautiful 
of all, now bears those marks of servitude 
which are the punishment of sin. Those whose 
eye of faith is not opened, and who, in the 
contest of the militant church on earth, can 
discern no intimation of the triumph of the 
perfected kingdom of God, see in Jerusalem 
only a small eastern town, covered with ruins, and 



JERUSALEM AS IT IS. 



183 



suffering from indigence and oppression, out of 
which the dissatisfied traveller seeks to hasten. 
But, on the contrary, the few remaining stones 
awaken in the christian animating remembrances. 
Upon the mountains, and the paths around, he 
follows the footsteps of his Redeemer ; and an 
hour upon Golgotha so illuminates his gaze that 
he sees every thing in a new light. His emotions 
take the highest flight to which human feeling 
can aspire. With these views, let us look at 
Zion in her state of bondage. 

We have already described the situation of 
Jerusalem. A range of mountains, of which, 
on the east, the highest is the Mount of Olives, 
extends to the north and west ; and considerably 
declines on the south in the Mount of Evil 
Counsel. A widely-extended circle is thus 
formed, encompassing the town with its hills, 
like a fortress. Moriah is about two thousand 
three hundred, Zion two thousand five hundred, 
and the Mount of Olives two thousand six hun- 
dred feet above the level of the sea ; the 
summit of the latter rises four hundred feet 
above the bed of the Kedron. The walls of 
the town preserve the form given them by the 
sultan Solyman, and are only injured here and 
there by the sieges of succeeding centuries ; 
they are protected by about forty square towers, 
and measure about a league in circumference. 
There are four gates — the Damascus gate to the 
north, with several gigantic old walls, which 
may, perhaps, be referred to the time of Herod ; 
the gate of Stephen to the east, close to the 
ruins of the temple, upon the portal of which 
four lions are hewn, dating their origin from 



184 



JERUSALEM AS IT IS. 



the period of the crusades ; the gate of Zion 
to the south ; and the last, and most commonly 
used, gate of Jaffa, or Bethlehem — called by 
the Arabs, the gate of Hebron ; it forms the 
means of communication with the west and 
south, and is protected by a strong quadrangular 
tower. The gates are closed at sun-set; and 
thus, owing to the shortness and heat of the 
days, exit is rendered impossible at the most 
agreeable time. They are only opened by an 
order of the pasha, which it is most difficult 
to obtain. 

The narrow streets of Jerusalem cross each 
other at right angles, from north to south, and 
from west to east ; they are distinguished from 
those of other cities of the east, by their superior 
paving and greater cleanliness. The houses 
are almost universally built of stone, and are 
certainly small and mean ; but most of them 
are surmounted by a dome, which gives a 
picturesque appearance to the whole. With the 
domes are connected the flat roofs, ascended by 
means of staircases. Owing to the mountainous 
character of the town very fine prospects are 
obtained from them ; and a sermon from the 
house-top* would be audible at a great distance : 
the people still hasten to them if any thing 
remarkable is to be seen ; and almost the whole 
population spend the cool hours of evening 
there. Glass windows are common, although 
iron or wooden lattices with shutters, generally 
satisfy the desires of the orientals. The best 
houses are in the Armenian and Mohammedan 



* Matt, x, 27* 



JERUSALEM AS IT IS. 



185 



quarters ; but the most beautiful of all is the 
Protestant hospital. 

The town is divided into four large quarters, 
belonging to the Christians, Armenians, Jews, 
and Mohammedans. The Armenians inhabit 
Mount Zion ; the other Christians, the northern 
part of it, with Golgotha ; the Jews, the valley 
between Zion and Moriah ; and the Moham- 
medans, the whole north-eastern part of the 
town, the ancient Acra and Bezetha. Two 
principal streets divide, and form the boundary 
of the quarters — the one leading from the 
Jaffa gate to the mosque on Moriah — the other, 
from the deep valley near the gate of Zion 
to, the Damascus gate. 

Taking an excursion through the town, we 
will follow the direction from west to east, and 
make a detour to the south and north. Close 
to the Jaffa gate is the Castle of David, with 
the tower of Hippicus, built by Herod, and 
spared by Titus. The upper part of the tower, 
like the remaining wall, is of a later date, but 
the lower portion, with the wall of the grave 
near the castle, is manifestly as old as the time 
of Herod. The protestant place of worship 
immediately follows, with the foundation of the 
church which, with God's help, will soon be 
finished. The site is the finest that could have 
been chosen. This evangelical church, upon 
the hill of Zion, will one day tower above all 
the domes of the city ; and even now a beautiful 
prospect is obtained of the town and the 
Mount of Olives. The house of the missionary 
Nicolayson is close to it, while Bishop Alexander 
resided at the side. Turning from the Castle 



186 



JERUSALEM AS IT IS. 



of David, south of the protestant church, we 
enter the Armenian quarter, and approach 
their convent — the richest and largest in Jeru- 
salem, and distinguished by the extent of its 
buildings and gardens. Within it is the church 
of St. James, on the spot where the apostle 
James, the brother of John, was beheaded. 
This church is more magnificently adorned than 
any other in the town. There is, also, a Syrian 
convent in the neighbourhood. But close before 
the gate of Zion are the huts of the lepers ; 
those unhappy beings, about a hundred in 
number, whose limbs begin from early youth to 
die away and rot. These poor creatures marry 
among one another, and perpetuate the disease. 
They are almost the only beggars the stranger 
sees in Jerusalem. 

Outside the gate is the greater part of the 
mountain, which is now excluded from the 
town. On it is an Armenian convent, and the 
so-called grave of David. Over this, the 
Mohammedans have built a mosque, which is 
held very holy. At the side are the burial- 
places of the Christians ; that of the Armenians 
is by the w^alls of the convent ; that of the Latins 
is to the east ; and the Grecian cemetery is to 
the west. The graves are covered with simple flat 
stones, with inscriptions, bearing the name and 
nation of the deceased. Many German and 
Swiss pilgrims are interred in the Latin ceme- 
tery ; the part where the Armenian missionaries 
are buried is enclosed by a wall. Thus Mount 
Zion has become a resting-place for the dead. 

Returning from the gate of Zion to that of 
Jaffa, the road leads towards the north to the 



JERUSALEM AS IT IS. 



187 



Christian quarter. We first arrive at the Latin 
convent^ the interior and small chapels of 
which are less attractive than the glorious 
prospect gained from the flat roof, over the 
whole town and its environs. Not far off, is 
the Casa Nuova, formerly the only place where 
European travellers could procure accom- 
modation. At a little distance is the Greek 
convent. Turning again from the Jaffa Gate 
towards the east, we follow the street leading 
from Mount Zion to the great mosque. We 
enter the first side street to the north; and 
leave to the left the so-called pool of Hezekiah, 
which, surrounded by the Coptic convent and 
other houses, is one of the most pleasant parts 
of the town. A little farther on to the right, 
in the street covered with booths, is the entrance 
to the fore-court of the church of the Sepulchre. 

Many disputes have lately arisen as to whether 
the Holy Sepulchre is really the grave of 
Christ, and whether the spot shewn as the 
place of the crucifixion is really Golgotha. 
Some have denied, as strenuously as others 
have affirmed it. But if the precise historical 
authentication of the spots has not been proved, 
much less has convincing evidence against their 
genuineness been produced ; and as a probability 
of their authenticity remains after the closest 
scientific investigation, we readily follow the 
almost uninterruptedly transmitted tradition 
since the death of Christ ; and recognise, in 
these holy spots, Golgotha, and the Saviour's 
grave. The fact of their now lying within the 
town does not present the shadow of an objection; 
since Herod Agrippa, ten years after Christ's 



188 



JERUSALEM AS IT IS. 



death, first enclosed Golgotha within the city, it 
having been previously situated without the first 
and second walls ; and that both the spots have 
been included in one church since the time of the 
crusades is not surprising, since, according to 
the scriptures,* the garden of Joseph of 
Arimathea was " in the place where he was 
crucified besides which, the towns of the 
ancients were not so widely extended as our 
modern ideas lead us to imagine : and, indeed, 
decided cause must be shewn to the christian 
church, ere places can be taken from her — 
which, by the hot tears of innumerable be- 
lievers, and the experiences of mercy there 
enjoyed by many sorrowing hearts, are associated 
with all that is most holy and consecrated on 
earth. 

The church of the Holy Sepulchre stands 
upon a rocky eminence, declining steeply to 
the north and east. It, properly, consists of 
three different chapels, united in one church. 
Near the entrance to the south, is that of the 
Crucifixion ; to the west, that of the Holy 
Sepulchre ; and to the east, united with the 
long nave of the Greek church, is the chapel 
of the Discovery of the Cross. At the entrance, 
through the chief portal on the south side, the 
Turkish door-keepers have their stations by 
the tower. To the right, the chapel of the 
Crucifixion is reached by twenty steps; it is 
eighteen paces square, and is divided into two 
vaulted chapels. That on the right, marks the 
spot where the Lord was nailed to the cross ; 



* John xix. 41, 42. 



JERUSALEM AS IT IS. 



189 



that on the left, the place of its elevation. The 
rock, which all around is hewn away, is visible 
here, and is still more easily distinguished in 
the chapel beneath — the resting-place of the 
christian kings of Jerusalem, particularly of 
Godfrey of Bouillon. In the place of the 
crucifixion, a Greek inscription records the 
miracle of redemption accomplished here. 
Again descending to the entrance, we enter on 
the left a large rotunda, seventy-two feet in 
diameter, over which is a high cupola, with a 
small circular opening. Eighteen pillars sur- 
round this hall ; and upon them rest two stories 
of archways, containing places for prayer for 
the different churches. In the midst of the 
hall, under the light-giving opening in the 
dome, is the Chapel of the Holy Sepulchre : 
the exterior is in the Byzantium style, and the 
interior is in the form of a vault, with ante- 
halls and a grave-chamber. 

Entering at the door, we arrive at the two 
chambers — the angel-chapels, with the stone 
upon which the angel sat after the resurrection 
of Christ : it is veneered with marble, and 
rests against the walls upon twelve pillars. A 
small low door leads to the sepulchre of Christ ; 
and, in the arch of the door, the rock is visible 
in which the grave was hewn. It is three feet 
high, six long, and nearly six broad. On the 
right of the entrance, a plate of marble covers 
a surface of six feet in length, three in width, 
and two and a half in height, in which the 
body of Christ rested. Silver lamps illuminate 
this sanctuary, in which four persons can kneel 
in prayer. 



190 



JERUSALEM AS IT IS. 



Returning to the rotunda, we enter, on the 
west, a small chapel of the Syrian Christians. 
In a narrow place behind it is a grave hewn in 
the natural rock, with horizontal niches, in 
which Nicodemus and Joseph of Arimathea 
were laid. They are, at all events, as old as 
the time of Christ, and are witnesses that this 
was formerly a place of graves. On the other 
side of the rotunda, opposite the angels' chapels, 
is the entrance to the Great Greek Church — 
the most magnificent of all. Over the Holy of 
Holies are the two smaller domes of the 
Sepulchre Church : it is richly adorned with 
gold and statuary, marble and precious stones 
— and, indeed, is overloaded with treasures 
bestowed by christian piety. The church ter- 
minates in a series of halls, which contain 
numerous chapels erected in memory of various 
scenes in the sufferings of Christ. Twenty- 
eight steps lead down to the Chapel of Helena, 
and eighteen steps deeper is the spot where, 
in her presence, the cross was found. Passing 
over a large number of chapels, and places of 
devotion, we will only mention the Chapel of 
the Latins, to the north of that of the grave. 
It is outside the church, but connected with it 
by a row of pillars, and is the only chapel 
containing an organ ; to the tones of which I 
often listened with true emotion, as they pealed 
through the wide chambers of the great church. 

We will not reason about the traditions, 
respecting other places outside Golgotha and 
the Holy Sepulchre, devoted to the edification 
of the devout; if the events did not occur on 
the very spots, they must have taken place a 



JERUSALEM AS IT IS. 



191 



few paces distant ; and the pious heart will 
willingly be reminded by visible objects of the 
transactions these holy places commemorate. 
They were formerly divided between eight 
different nations ; but since the last conflagration , 
belong almost exclusively to the Greeks, who 
have left the Latin, Armenian, Coptic, and 
Syrian Christians, only a few spots for the 
celebration of their worship. The Latins call 
their chapel that of the Appearance, because 
here the Lord appeared to Mary, his mother, 
after the resurrection. The Armenians possess 
the Chapel of Helena ; the Copts have only 
a small chapel to the west of the grave; 
and the Syrian Christians another under the 
arch of the western side of the rotunda. 
Several of the monks and clergy of the four 
nations constantly linger about the church for 
the regular performance of service ; and many 
of the pilgrims spend some days and nights 
there ; a custom that does not contribute much 
to the external cleanliness and dignity of the 
church. It is generally shut, and the provisions 
are received through a hole ; but, on Sundays 
and holidays, it is open at the hours of service. 
It cannot, unfortunately, be a matter of regret 
that a Turkish guard is there to keep order ; 
for, otherwise, the contentions of the christians 
would be still fiercer than at present. 

To the south of the church of the Sepulchre, 
and separated from it by a narrow street, are 
the ruins of a convent, belonging to the Knights 
of St. John. The principal buildings, with 
their cross passages, and the church, are in 
good preservation. The whole is now used as 



192 



JERUSALEM AS IT IS. 



a factory ; and it is to be lamented that none 
of the christian churches have yet directed 
their attention to it. Again entering the 
gateway in the large cross street to the north, 
we arrive at the Via Dolorosa, the Way of Pain, 
which was trodden by the Lord when he was 
led from the judgment hall of Pilate to Golgotha. 
Numerous calvary mountains in our father-land 
give the different stations that tradition has 
fixed along this way. The street declines 
towards the great valley, Tyropoeon, between 
Zion and Golgotha on the one side, and Moriah 
and Acra on the other ; in ancient times the 
seat of commerce and traffic. We now enter 
the second principal street, running from north 
to south: from the Damascus gate to the 
southern end of the bazaar it forms the boun- 
dary of the Christian and Mohammedan, and 
afterwards of the Armenian and Jewish quarters. 
At this part the street consists of arched halls 
for the bazaar : several parallel halls also 
extend towards the south. Their pavement is 
principally composed of marble blocks and 
enormous stones, which once adorned the 
temple, and are now trodden under the feet of 
the Arabs. The bazaars are very poorly sup- 
plied ; only providing absolute necessaries for 
the .Bedouins, who flock there in great numbers* 
Quite to the south, between Zion and Moriah, 
is the Jew's quarter, which is not much dis- 
tinguished for cleanliness. 

Following the Via Dolorosa, we descend 
into the deep valley of Tyropoeon — for deep it 
is, notwithstanding all that has been done to 
fill it up. A second cross road leads close to 



JERUSALEM AS IT IS. 193 

Moriah ; and, with the other street, encloses 
the bazaars, and the Jew's quarter, After a 
trifling bend towards the north, the path again 
ascends in the same direction, and we soon 
arrive at the Turkish barracks, the ancient fort 
of Antonia, and the judgment hall of Pilate, 
which is properly the commencement of the 
Via Dolorosa, extending about a quarter of a 
league. Through the mediation of the phy- 
sician of the garrison, we were permitted to 
ascend the terrace, or flat roof of the barracks, 
from which we obtained a full view of the 
mosques, and the place of the old temple, in 
the south-eastern part of the town. At our 
feet was a gentle declivity, the site of the 
former valley between Acra and Moriah ; and 
above it Mount Moriah, with its mosques and 
gardens, its beautiful cypresses and wide- 
spreading trees — the renowned paradise of the 
Mohammedan women. In the midst of the 
great court a platform rises, fourteen feet high, 
while marble steps lead up to it from each of 
the four sides. On this platform is the mosque 
of Omar ; an octagonal building, the side of 
which is sixty feet long. In the middle it is 
wainscoted with marble plates, and adorned 
with blue and coloured tiles, bearing sentences 
from the Koran : every side has seven windows, 
the middle forming a door to each of the four 
sides : the interior is white ; and by each of 
the eight walls are three columns ; the dome rests 
upon sixteen pillars, which inclose, by means 
of trellis-work, the renowned Sakhara stone. 
The dome is ninety feet high, and forty feet in 
diameter, and is ornamented with coloured 

o 



194 



JERUSALEM AS IT IS. 



tiles, so that it has from a distance a most 
brilliant effect. Behind the great platform is a 
large marble bason, surrounded by sward, by 
green olive, orange, and cypress trees. To the 
extreme south is the mosque, El Aksa, the 
magnificent basilica of Justinian, the architec- 
tural beauty of which we could admire from a 
distance. To the west of the great place of 
the temple commences a row of halls, simply 
formed of old blocks of stone, and serving as 
places of residence for the monks, or dervishes, 
who prevent any but Mohammedans from 
entering the place. To the east, the outside 
wall is at the same time the wall of the town; 
the lower part consists of enormous blocks, of 
stone ; among them are several more than 
twenty feet long, which must have belonged to 
the buildings of Solomon. In the wall we 
perceived the inner side of the beautiful golden 
door. It is now shut, and closely guarded; 
because the Mohammedans have a tradition, 
that through this door the Christians will once 
enter as masters of the town. Under the mosque, 
El Aksa, behind the wall, sixty feet in perpen- 
dicular height, a large hall has been discovered, 
formed by square pillars, above which are very 
high and beautiful arches. The plan of this 
hall may be dated at least as far back as the 
time of Herod. It is to be lamented, that the 
great jealousy of the Mohammedans has pre- 
vented a closer acquaintance with so holy and 
rich, though ruined, a spot. 

Having thus considered the vicinity of the 
place of the temple, we allowed our eyes to 
wander into the distance, and a large and lovely 



THE ENVIRONS OF JERUSALEM. 195 

panorama of Jerusalem unfolded itself before us. 
At our feet was the charming Mount Moriah ; 
to the south- west, Zion rose majestically, ap- 
pearing to represent, with its mass of houses, 
the whole of the town. The holy grave and 
Golgotha, on the north-west, at the declivity 
of Gihon, now lay quite at the end of the town ; 
so that nothing is more natural than to suppose 
that they were formerly outside the city. The 
deep valley of Tyropoeon divides Golgotha and 
Gihon from Acra, upon which we were, and 
from Bezetha, the northern part of the town, 
and that last included within it. It is the least 
inhabited, and is almost exclusively in the 
possession of the Mohammedans. On the 
eastern side appeared the green summit of the 
Mount of Olives, filling the beholder with 
heaven-ascending thoughts. 



CHAPTER V. 

THE ENVIRONS OF JERUSALEM. 

Let us now examine the neighbourhood of 
Jerusalem ; and, leaving the town by the 
northern gate of Damascus, approach the side 
which is unprotected by a valley, but on which 
a high plain extends, afterwards rising in the 
form of mountains. The walls have, therefore, 

o 2 



196 THE ENVIRONS OF JERUSALEM. 



been defended by very deep trenches, hewn in 
the rocks. Immediately before the gate is the 
Grotto of Jeremiah ; it is forty-two paces in 
diameter, and is supported by two colossal 
pillars ; the hill under which it lies was probably 
connected with the high northern side of the 
town, but was broken through by quarries, and 
then served for the foundation of a trench. 
To the north are the graves of the kings — 
probably the burial place of queen Helena. 
Through a rocky door we enter a court, sur- 
rounded by walls of polished rock ; at the 
southern wall is a portal, the frieze of which is 
richly adorned with beautiful work. Passing 
through a hole in the northern corner, we enter 
a chamber, containing the entrances to four 
different grave rooms, with small low niches, 
or graves, pierced horizontally in the rock: 
the doors of the chambers consist of large and 
simply-ornamented blocks of stone. In the 
neighbourhood are more courts, with similar 
graves ; but they are not equal in size to those 
we have described. A little farther off to the 
north-west, we arrive at the graves of the judges 
— an appellation purely arbitrary. Through a 
beautifully-sculptured portal, we enter a large 
chamber, with horizontal niches; two similar 
apartments follow, and a pair of steps lead 
down into two smaller ones. There are, 
altogether, about sixty burying places. Re- 
turning to the northern side of the town, the 
plain is covered with a pleasant olive grove. 
There are lovely walks beneath its shade, and 
the principal people among the Mohammedans 
assemble there in the evening. 



THE EN VIRONS OF JERUSALEM. 197 



At the north-western corner of the town, on 
the highest elevation of the hilly ground, stands 
a large old tree, extending wide the shadow of 
its boughs. Here a beautiful prospect of the 
town and its environs is enjoyed; and we were 
often enchanted with the beauty of Jerusalem 
by the light of the setting sun. At the 
beginning of the valley of Hinnom, a Turkish 
burying-place extends to the upper pool of 
Gihon. We entered the valley of Hinnom, 
which abruptly descends between Zion and the 
western mountain. The declivities of both the 
mountains are often covered, particularly in the 
afternoon, with pilgrims and monks, who are 
fond of the walk before the Jaffa gate, and can 
here greet those who are coming from Bethlehem 
and Jaffa. In the valley of Hinnom is the 
second or lower pool of Gihon, more than 
five hundred feet long, two hundred and fifty feet 
broad, and about forty feet deep. From this 
spot the rocks become more abrupt, and closer 
to one another ; and the narrow valley presents 
a most dismal appearance. Instead of the 
beautiful fields and gardens that have hitherto 
adorned it, only a few trees are seen ; and, 
turning to the east, south of Mount Zion, we 
enter the wild defile of the valley of Hinnom — 
Gehenna, or Tophet — where the Jews set up the 
image of Moloch, with the arms of a man, and 
the head of an ox. They laid their sons and 
daughters upon his burning arms, as a horrible 
sacrifice. When the people returned to God, 
they threw into this ravine the corpses of 
criminals and animals ; a fire constantly burning 
consumed the noxious vapours. Therefore the 



198 THE ENVIRONS OF JERUSALEM. 

Jews and Christians designate hell by the name 
of the valley of Hinnom, or Gehenna. 

To the south, opposite Zion, is the Mountain 
of Evil Counsel. At its declivity are a large 
number of graves ; and here was the potter's 
field, or field of blood, (Aceldama,) bought by 
Judas for thirty pieces of silver. This is 
confirmed by a stratum of white clay, found in 
this neighbourhood, and still employed. Until 
lately, poor pilgrims were buried here. The 
surrounding graves bear many inscriptions, 
shewing them to be the resting places of 
pilgrims ; one of them, in the Greek language, 
was particularly interesting to us : " Here lie 
buried ten men from Germany." From this 
place the inhabitants of Pisa, in 1218, took a 
considerable quantity of earth to the Campo 
Santo, believing it to have the singular property 
of preventing putrefaction. To the south-east 
of the town, the valley of Hinnom unites with 
that of Kedron, which then proceeds in a more 
easterly direction towards the Dead Sea. At 
the part where both the valleys meet are the 
gardens of the kings, which are watered by the 
fountain of Siloam, and display the most luxu- 
riant verdure. To the south of them, in the 
valley of Kedron, is the well of Rogel, once the 
boundary well between Judah and Benjamin ; 
it flows into a beautiful antique bason. To the 
north of the gardens of the kings, in which 
Adonijah, the son of David, caused himself to 
be proclaimed king, is the pool of Siloam, on 
the spot where the valley of Tyropceon unites 
with that of Hinnom ; and this again with the 
valley of Kedron immediately at the foot of 



THE ENVIRONS OF JERUSALEM. 199 

Moriah, which gradually declines towards it. 
The pool of Siloam receives its water from the 
well of the same name — the Fountain of the 
Virgin, in the valley of Kedron ; a canal hewn 
in the rock conveys it to the pool. It is smaller 
than all the other pools of Jerusalem, and the 
fountain ripples into it almost imperceptibly — 
it is " the waters of Shiloah that go softly."* 
The Lord sent the blind man here, that he 
might wash, and come away seeing. 

Ascending from the valley of Kedron, which 
is dry even at the rainy season, we reach the 
village of Siloam, situated to the right of the 
steep declivity of the southern summit of Mount 
Olivet. Here may have stood the tower which, 
at the time of Christ, fell, and slew eighteen 
men. The present inhabitants are very poor ; 
and the whole village produces a melancholy 
impression, beautiful as is its situation on the 
mountain. The valley of Kedron suddenly 
narrows at the part where the village ends, and 
the descent commences to the Fountain of Mary, 
on the opposite side. On the west, Mount Moriah 
rises steeply ; and upon its summit, as if in con- 
tinuation, is the high wall of the mosque. On 
the east, the Mount of Olives abruptly ascends 
considerably higher, and the way through the 
valley becomes so narrow, as barely to admit of 
traffic. It is here that God is expected to come 
as judge; and it is supposed that this will be the 
scene of Joel's prophecy : — " I will also gather 
all nations, and will bring them down into the 
valley of Jehoshaphat; and will plead with 



* Isaiah viii. 6. 



200 THE ENVIRONS OF JERUSALEM. 

them there for my people, and for my heritage, 
Israel."* But we cannot be certain which 
valley is meant; since the name, valley of 
Jehoshaphat, " the Lord judgeth," is first 
mentioned in christian times ; Jews and 
Mohammedans, however, agree in looking for 
the divine judgment in this valley. The 
Mussulmans believe that Mahomet will sit 
upon a projection of the wall of the mosque, 
and pass sentence there ; the declivity of Mount 
Moriah, below this spot, is therefore covered 
with the graves of pious Mohammedans. Here 
the Jews await the day of the resurrection, and 
the restoration of their lost glory ; and thus 
the old men of the daughter of Zion repair to 
Jerusalem from all the ends of the earth, in 
order to be buried in the valley of Jehoshaphat ; 
and to be the first to witness the restored beauty 
of Jerusalem. The whole of the declivity of 
Mount Olivet, near this spot, exhibits the simple 
white grave stones of the Jews. At the foot of 
the mountain, in the valley, are several large 
monuments ; to which the names of Zechariah, 
James, Absalom, and Jehoshaphat, have been 
attached. They forcibly reminded us of the 
Egyptian graves. The first is a small square 
temple, upon which a little pyramid rises. A 
niche is cut in the rock, and there is a wide 
passage round the grave. From this, an opening 
hewn in the rock, leads to a grotto with 
several chambers. The front towards the valley 
has an open portal, with three pillars. The 
third grave is on the spot where a bridge 



* Joeliii. 2. 



THE ENVIRONS OF JERUSALEM. 201 



leads over the very narrow brook of Kedron, 
to the declivity of Moriah. It is a small temple 
hewn out of the rock, from which a dome 
projects into a pointed tower. It is denominated 
the grave of Absalom, and is distinguished by 
its size and position from all the rest. Travellers 
have remarked a great similarity between it 
and the monuments of Petra ; it may, therefore, 
be of the time of Herod the Great, who, as an 
Idumean, came from thence. To the north of 
these graves, the valley again -widens — the 
mountains become less abrupt — and the declivi- 
ties are covered with pleasant gardens and trees. 

We next arrive at the principal bridge, leading 
from the gate of Stephen to the Mount of Olives. 
This, even in ancient times, received a re- 
markable consecration ; for when David fled 
from his son Absalom, and passed over the 
brook Kedron, it is said, " he went up by the 
ascent of Mount Olivet, and wept, and came 
to the top of the mount, where he worshipped 
God." The lovely mountain rises on the 
eastern side of the valley of Kedron in three 
points : it is now covered with olive trees, corn 
fields, and gardens ; and is the most pleasant of 
all the mountains that are round about Jeru- 
salem ; even as it was illuminated with the 
reflected splendour of the glory in which the 
Lord ascended up to Heaven. Once, on the 
afternoon of Ascension Day, we passed over 
the brook Kedron ; we lingered in the garden 
of Gethsemane, which lies immediately at the 
foot of the Mount of Olives, and gazed at it as 
the Lord, with his disciples, might have done 
when he went up it, before his departure from 



202 THE ENVIRONS OF JERUSALEM. 

them. The higher we ascended, the more 
lovely and the more extensive did Jerusalem 
appear to us. We reached the summit, but 
turned a little to the south-east; towards the 
declivity, a beautiful valley, richly adorned 
with trees, approached that of Kedron, and by 
the southern slope of the eastern ridge of 
Olivet, we arrived, after a walk of three-quarters 
of an hour, at Bethany, — a quiet, peaceful 
village, surrounded by mountains. A large 
tower, of the Roman time, the foundation walls 
of which are preserved, marks the dwelling 
place of Lazarus, Martha, and Mary. Here* 
after weeping over Jerusalem, the Lord was 
accustomed to repair in the evening ; here he 
was refreshed by quiet heart- communion with 
the three whom he loved. The eye that 
wandered upon Olivet and Mount Zion, is here 
confined to the still view of a narrow valley : 
while the barren steppes of the desert approach 
quite near to the village, it reposes so much 
the more on the green meadows and stately trees 
of Bethany. It seems as if the Lord could find 
no lovelier spot for quiet meditation ; and we 
can well understand the feelings of Melisinda, 
wife of king Fulk, of Jerusalem, who, in 1132, 
founded for her sister, Iveta, a convent of the 
Benedictines ; choosing, like Mary at the 
Saviour's feet, the one thing needful. At 
about ten minutes' distance are numerous ruins, 
upon a hill sloping down towards the south. 
They consist of houses and cisterns, and mark 
the site of ancient Bethphage. The way from 
Jericho to Jerusalem leads now, as in the days 
of Christ, through Bethphage and Bethany. 



THE ENVIRONS OF JERUSALEM. 203 



Much delighted with the lovely situation of 
Bethany, we returned to the middle, the highest 
summit of the Mount of Olives. Here, in the 
midst of some Arab houses, are the ruins of a 
convent and churchy pointing out the place of 
Christ's ascension. In the centre of the former 
church is a mosque, built over a stone, in which 
a mark, like the impression of a man's right 
foot, is shown as the footstep of Christ at his 
ascension. Little as this appears probable, 
there is, nevertheless, no reason for the sup- 
position that this is not the spot from which 
Christ was received up into Heaven. Through 
the ruins of the convent, which are now in- 
habited by a Mohammedan guard, we ascended 
a tower used as a minaret, and obtained a 
most beautiful prospect of the whole neigh- 
bourhood of Jerusalem. Protected on the west 
by the ridge of hills parallel with Olivet, and 
which excluded a wider view, the holy city lay 
before us, surrounded by a chain of fresh green 
mountains. Considerably higher on the western 
side, with Zion, Gihon, and Golgotha, than on 
the eastern, it rose amphitheatrically before our 
delighted eyes. All remains of its destruction 
vanished in the sublime distance, and the mass 
of houses bore a picturesque appearance, with 
their innumerable domes, towers, and minarets. 
Immediately at our feet lay the wide extent of 
the Haram-el-Scherif, with its fresh water — its 
melancholy cypresses — its charming gardens — 
and the rich colours of its mosques. How must 
the golden pinnacles of the temple have once 
glittered there ! Farther off, on Mount Gihon, 
appeared Golgotha, with the mighty cupola of 



£04 THE ENVIRONS OF JERUSALEM. 

the cathedral church ; and, at the side, behind 
a multitude of houses, David's tower on Zion ; 
and the site of the Protestant church. Yes ! 
never did Jerusalem seem so lovely as from 
the Mount of the Ascension — never, through 
the bodily eye, was the eye of faith so cleared ! 
To the north, in a wide circle, appeared the 
mountains of Ephraim, with Ebal and Gerizim, 
where blessing and cursing were proclaimed; 
to the south, the undulating mountain ridge of 
Judah, and the charming Tekoah. But the 
view towards the east is as gloomy, as that 
towards the west is beautiful. Close behind 
Bethany, at the foot of the Mount of Olives, 
begin the barren plains of the desert of J udah. 
Its grey mountains, declining towards the 
dismal waters of the Dead Sea, look bleak and 
bare ; while, behind the wide and dreary lake, 
rise the barren rocks of the Moabite mountains ; 
where Moses, upon Nebo, once directed his 
longing gaze towards the heights of the Pro- 
mised Land. To the north of the Dead Sea, a 
narrow slip of green extends towards Jericho ; 
it marks the pleasant shores of the river Jordan, 
which flows through the Wilderness. This was 
the spot from which the Lord was taken up to 
Heaven to sit at the right hand of God, holding 
the reins of the world's government — until, 
at the end of days, eternal blessedness, or eternal 
damnation shall be proclaimed. Here, where 
on one side the paradisaical heights of Jerusalem 
give promise of blessing — the Dead Sea, and 
the Wilderness on the other, intimate curse. 
Here Zechariah prophesied : — " The Lord's 
feet shall stand upon the Mount of Olives, 



THE ENVIRONS OF JERUSALEM. 205 



which is before Jerusalem on the east ; and the 
Mount of Olives shall cleave in the midst 
thereof, toward the east and toward the w^est, 
and there shall be a very great valley ; and 
half of the mountain shall remove toward the 
norths and half of it toward the south. And 
it shall be in that day, that living waters shall 
go out from (the now waterless) Jerusalem : 
half of them toward the former (Dead) Sea, 
and half of them toward the hinder (Medi- 
terranean) Sea. The Lord shall be king over all 
the earth. Jerusalem shall be safely inhabited."* 
We thought of the two men in white apparel ; 
and of those blessed ones, who, made like the 
angels of God, have entered into undisturbed 
communion with him who has passed into the 
skies. It seemed to us as if the invisible cloud 
were bearing the Lord up into Heaven. We 
turned towards Jerusalem, and passed the 
graves, which, containing many chambers, and 
of considerable extent, are pointed out as the 
sepulchres of Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachi. 
We then, descending by Gethsemane, over the 
bridge of Kedron, and through the gate of 
Stephen, entered Jerusalem with great joy, 
praising and blessing God. 



* Zech. xiv. 4, 8, 9, 11. 



CHAPTER VI. 



THE JEWS. 

Having traced the position of Jerusalem, 
from its beginning to the present time, we will 
turn to its inhabitants. The holy city was 
destined for the holy people : God had selected 
them above all the nations of the earth ; and not 
for their own excellence, but out of free grace 
and love, had chosen them to be his peculiar 
people. They were to remain as such among 
all the nations ; and the wonderful guidance of 
God, with reference to them, was to be mani- 
fested in an outward and visible manner, that 
others might come and worship Israel's God. 
Therefore Moses, in his five books of the law, 
but more especially in the fifth, so greatly 
prophetic, and abounding so in fatherly admo- 
nition, was to show them that happiness and 
prosperity would accompany obedience to the 
word of God. And if we look back upon the 
thousands of years that have passed since the 
prophecies of Moses, we must acknowledge, 
that no nation has, in the same way, been 
visited by God with blessing and with chas- 
tisement. Blessing was poured upon the people 
in streams of love at the time of Solomon ; 
and was accorded still more abundantly in the 
brilliant days of the second temple, when Christ, 
the true Solomon, appeared. But when they 
ceased to serve the Lord, their God, with the 



THE JEWS. 



207 



joy and delight of their hearts, he visited 
them in a wonderful manner, with great and 
tedious plagues. Since they would not have 
the proffered blessing, the threatened curse has 
fallen upon the sons of Israel, and is upon 
them a sign and a wonder for ever. 

The curse of God has been twice revealed in 
the clearest and most dreadful manner. First, 
at the destruction of Jerusalem by Nebuchad- 
nezzar, and the dispersion of the people from 
one end of the earth to the other. But then 
the ruins of the town were left — they remained 
among the hosts of the scattered prophets sent 
from God ; the people heard the voice of the 
Lord, and returned home to the city of their 
fathers. It is not so now. Nearly eighteen hun- 
dred years have passed since the punishment 
of God for the most fearful sin of the world ; 
and Israel continues a wonder and a sign 
among all the nations. 

" The Lord shall cause thee to be smitten 
before thine enemies ; ye shall be plucked from 
off the land whither thou goest to possess it. 
And ye shall be left few in number, whereas ye 
were as the stars of heaven for multitude. The 
Lord shall scatter thee among all people, from 
the one end of the earth, even unto the other."* 
Driven from Jerusalem, and from the Promised 
Land, the Jews have fled into all the countries 
of the earth. People and kingdoms have arisen, 
and have sunk into the dust again ; but much 
as Israel longs after the land of their fathers, it 
yet remains the booty of their enemies. " The 

* Deut. xxviii. 



208 



THE JEWS. 



stranger that is within thee shall get above 
thee very high ; and thou shalt come down very- 
low. And among these nations shalt thou find 
no ease, neither shall the sole of thy foot have 
rest : but the Lord shall give thee there a 
trembling heart. Thou shalt fear day and 
night, and shalt have none assurance of thy 
life. In the morning thou shalt say, Would 
God it were even ! And at even thou shalt say, 
Would God it were morning ! For the fear of 
thine heart, wherewith thou shalt fear, and for 
the sight of thine eyes, which thou shalt see." 
And do not the Jews still restlessly traverse 
the world ? Does not the history of the last 
century again testify of persecutions against 
them, in which Christians and Mohammedans 
united to destroy all assurance of their lives ? 
Is not their history one of suffering and of 
terror ? And is not the thought of a trembling 
heart and fearful cowardice united with their 
name ? And if, in many places, their position 
is improved, are they not, even in the countries 
of Europe, most sensibly oppressed ? " Thou 
shalt become an astonishment, a protest and a 
by-word among all nations, whither the Lord 
shall lead thee." Is not this fulfilled ? We can 
go still farther. The Jews hear the message 
of Christ — the fulfilment of that for which 
their heart longs. But the majority of the 
people reject the Gospel. God has hardened 
their hearts, and made their ears heavy, and 
their eyes blind, that they should not see with 
their eyes, and hear with their ears, nor under- 
stand with their hearts, and be converted and 
healed. " The Lord shall smite thee with 



THE JEWS. 



209 



madness, and blindness, and astonishment of 
heart : and thou shalt grope at noon-day, as 
the blind gropeth in darkness." 

C£ I will make a full end of all the nations 
whither I have driven thee, saith the Lord."* 
Where are the nations of the Egyptians, the 
Assyrians, the Babylonians? They have vanished 
from the earth at the nod of the Lord. " But 
I will not make a full end of thee, but correct 
thee in measure." Turn where we will — to 
Europe or Asia, to Africa or America, to the 
snowy fields of Siberia, or to the sands of the 
Wilderness — we find J ews ; and in spite of 
their dispersion, in spite of their division, they 
have remained a nation, unmixed and separated 
from all the rest ; there is not an end made of 
them. And are they not still a people of 
peculiar talents, and unusual gifts ? Their un- 
dertakings generally succeed ; shrewdness and 
prudence are only misused gifts of God, when 
applied by a sinner to an evil purpose. Are 
not the same talents that are lavished in the 
unworthy pursuit of gain, ennobled when 
employed in art and science ? Are not Jews, 
converted sons of Israel, those who take the 
first places in science as in art ? Are not Jews, 
in our days, among the richest and the most 
highly-cultivated men ? We see that, " Blind- 
ness in part is happened to Israel, until the 
fulness of the Gentiles be come in;"f but 
c - He that scattered Israel will gather him, and 
keep him, as a shepherd doth his flock." J 
" Is Ephraim my dear son? Is he a pleasant 

* Jer. xlvi. 28. f Rom, xi. 25, 26. t Jer. xxxi. 10, 20. 

P 



210 



THE JEWS. 



child? For since I spake against him, I do 
earnestly remember him still: therefore my 
bowels are troubled for him : I will surely 
have mercy upon him, saith the Lord." " Who 
are these that fly as a cloud, and as the doves 
to their windows I Surely the isles shall wait 
for me, and the ships of Tarshish first, to 
bring thy sons from far, their silver and their 
gold with them. And the sons of strangers 
shall build up thy walls, and their kings shall 
minister unto thee. A little one shall become 
a thousand, and a small one a strong nation."* 
The past history of Israel — the anticipations of 
its future glory — and its position at the present 
time, oblige us to confess, that it stands as 
" a sign and a wonder" among the nations. 

The hope of the outward restoration of the 
people, and a new kingdom of Jews in Jeru- 
salem, allures them from all quarters to the 
neighbourhood of the Holy Land — to Cairo 
and Alexandria — to Constantinople and to 
Smyrna — that they may spend their last days 
in the promised country ; and in consecrated 
earth await the resurrection. They are, also, 
induced to repair there by the superstition, that 
the bodies of all Jews, who do not die in 
Jerusalem, will be tormented after their burial 
by two angels, and before the resurrection will 
have to pass under the ground to the valley of 
Jehoshaphat. Nearly half the Jews, therefore, 
to the number of three millions, linger about 
the shores of the Mediterranean Sea ; or rather, 
if possible, assemble in the four holy cities — 



* Isaiah lx. 8, 10, 22. 



THE JEWS. 



211 



Jerusalem, Hebron, Saphet, and Tiberias. 
They are divided into two tribes : the Spanish 
or Portuguese, and the Polish or German Jews 
— the Sephardim and Ashkenazim. The former 
have preserved the Hebrew language in a purer 
dialect; and are also distinguished from the 
German Jews, by a greater degree of external 
cleanliness. The Spanish Jews, in the Turkish 
empire, are subjects of the Porte, and are also 
under the political inspection of the chief 
Rabbis. The Polish, or German Jews, stand 
collectively under the protection of the different 
European consuls. They are, nevertheless, 
very poor in Syria, being almost reduced to 
beggary, and to subsist on the alms collected 
by their European brethren ; which, of course, 
very much destroys their independence. We 
can only form a general idea of the number of 
Jews in Syria, but they are supposed to amount 
to about eight thousand in Jerusalem — the half 
of the whole population ; four hundred in 
Hebron ; the same in Saphet ; three hundred 
in Tiberias ; and two hundred in the other 
towns : of these, a third part in Jerusalem, 
half in Hebron, and the majority in Saphet 
and Tiberias, consist of German Jews. 

Their worship is now without a sacrifice, 
without an altar, without an ephod, and without 
a sanctuary. It consists, besides the singing 
of the Psalms, with the prayers and the sermon, 
of the reading of the law from the five books 
of Moses and the Prophets ; from which, in the 
service of the christian church, has originated 
the singing of psalms and hymns, the prayers, 
and the reading of the apostolic epistles as the 



212 



THE JEWS. 



new law ; and the gospels, as the fulfilment of 
the prophecies. In Jerusalem, the Spanish 
Jews have four large and miserably-regulated 
synagogues ; the Polish, two of a smaller size, 
and still poorer, in a remote part of the town, 
at the declivity of Mount Zion. In these 
synagogues the hours of prayer are now regu- 
larly observed, and their litanies lament the 
fallen temple, and the departed grandeur of 
Jerusalem. 

The Koraiten Jews are a remarkable sect, 
who refuse all traditions and institutions of men, 
and keep to the written word of God. They 
are severely persecuted by the other Jews, 
who think that Christ belonged to them, and 
that the christians have only fallen more deeply 
into superstition. 

There were lately only two families of this 
sect in the town. They have many variations 
in the form of their worship, in the slaying of 
the animals, &c. All their doctrines are com- 
prised in ten simple articles of faith. Another 
peculiar sect is that of the Chasidim, or devout, 
perhaps the Essaer of the time of Christ. 
They have a singularly-small synagogue ; they 
pretend to hold close connexion with the 
angelic world ; and, therefore, busy themselves 
more with mystic, cabalistical writings than 
with the Talmud. 

The Jews at Jerusalem are distinguished for 
being particularly studious, and have no less 
than thirty-six academies. Among the Rabbis, 
the important and learned men, are several 
who are noted for their scientific attainments, 
and great, though principally talmudical, know- 



THE JEWS. 



213 



ledge. We became acquainted with one of 
them, named Schwarz, from Bavaria, who 
was writing a work in Hebrew, on Jewish 
archeology, accompanied with investigations 
respecting the geography of Syria, and the 
topography of Jerusalem; the book was printed 
there in the Hebrew printing office. We must 
wait to know whether science will obtain any 
substantial advantage from his labours ; he has, 
at any rate, communicated many Jewish tra- 
ditions worthy of consideration ; and it is 
gladdening to find such activity among the 
people in Jerusalem. 

With respect to the spiritual condition of the 
Jews — the manner in which they repair to the 
Promised Land, and to Jerusalem, pre-supposes 
their firm adherence to the old orthodox faith ; 
and in few places so exact a fulfilment of the 
requirements of the Mosaic law can be found as 
here. So much the more difficulty, therefore, 
accompanies the labours of the christian mission- 
aries, who, sent by the London Society for the 
Promotion of Christianity among the Jews, have 
been among them for many years. If under 
more favourable circumstances among ourselves, 
it is so seldom that an old orthodox Jew is 
convinced of the truth of the christian faith, 
we can imagine how much more difficult it 
must be in Jerusalem. And if the results of the 
mission have been inconsiderable hitherto, we 
must rejoice so much the more, that the Society 
has not, on this account, suffered itself to be 
deterred ; but, on the contrary, has displayed 
an activity still more zealous. It has had to 
contend, not only with spiritual, but with civil 



THE JEWS. 



power. Among the Spanish Jews, especially, 
the principal Rabbi, is, at the same time, the 
political chief. A trifling approach to the 
missionaries incurs the withdrawal of the sup- 
port which he alone affords ; and which forms, 
at the same time, the only sustenance of the poor 
people : and he has established such stringent 
political regulations, and corporal punishments, 
that contact with the missionaries is prevented, 
and not a single Spanish Jew in Syria has yet 
been converted. With reference to the Polish 
or German Jews, who are under the protection 
of the foreign consuls, matters wear a more 
favourable aspect. Here protection is natural, 
but it is withdrawn on the slightest suspicion ; 
and Austria has nominated a chief Rabbi as 
vice-consul, who, like the Spanish Rabbi, unites 
corporal punishments with his instructions in 
abundant measure. The Russian consuls, 
however, have not been unfavourable on the 
whole ; but the position of those Jews who are 
under the protection of the Prussian consul, 
(to which the English mission is assigned,) is 
quite peculiar. 

In proportion to this measure of support is the 
determined opposition of the Jews. The Rabbis 
have not only repealed the ban against any who 
may- hold communication with the institutions 
of the mission, particularly naming the hospital, 
but they have themselves, under the guidance 
of a Jewish physician from Breslau, established 
a hospital, and have increased their care for the 
poor. Money is constantly becoming more 
abundant, and the former oppressed condition 
of the Jews is greatly ameliorated by the 



THE CHRISTIANS. 215 

mediation of their influential brethren in 
Europe. May the love of European Christians 
for Israel increase in like measure, that, through 
their service and their prayers, the people may 
soon cease to bear the curse I 



CHAPTER VII. 
THE CHRISTIANS. 

Almost all the Christian churches have their 
representatives in Jerusalem — the cradle of 
Christianity. It might be a centre point of 
Christian love and recognition, re-acting in a 
way full of blessing upon the churches at home. 
Now, it is certainly the spot where hatred and 
persecution employ the opportunity that has been 
wanting at home, to break forth in the most 
glaring and grievous form. Thus the sight of 
the Christians in Jerusalem, which ought to be 
most gladdening to us, rather fills our minds 
with sorrow. Their number may amount to 
about a fourth part of the inhabitants, that is, 
four thousand souls : of these, the majority 
belong to the oriental church, and for the most 
part to the Greek. 

The Greek Christians principally consist of 
Arabians; the priests are chosen from them, 
and the service is held in the Arabic language. 



216 



THE CHRISTIANS, 



It is otherwise, however, with the convents; 
the inhabitants of which are strangers bearing 
the name of Greeks. The number of convents 
in Jerusalem and the neighbourhood, is con- 
siderable, and they are particularly necessary 
for the reception of pilgrims at Easter time. 
There are about a hundred and fifty clergymen 
in the town. All these Greeks are under the 
Patriarch of Jerusalem, who has hitherto had 
his seat in Constantinople, leaving the admi- 
nistration of his diocese to three vicars. It was 
only during our sojourn in the town, that the 
former superintendent of the large convent in 
Jerusalem was chosen in place of the deceased 
Patriarch, and he determined, for the first 
time since more than a century, to fix his 
residence in the Holy City ; a circumstance 
which will greatly contribute to the present im- 
portance of Jerusalem. We were present when 
the Patriarch mounted his throne in the Church 
of the Sepulchre ; and, by the ceremonial of 
kissing the hand, received the allegiance of 
the clergy and laity. The church was magnifi- 
cently adorned, and the splendour of the attire 
of the Patriarch and clergy almost blinding. 
While the kissing of the hand proceeded, two 
sermons were delivered in different languages, 
extolling the importance of the occasion. On 
the following day, the Patriarch received the 
congratulatory visit of the Christian and Turkish 
authorities. We were permitted to join the 
train of Bishop Alexander, and found the 
Patriarch a mild and friendly man, whose 
appearance confirmed the reputation he had 
acquired for piety. When we were presented 



THE CHRISTIANS. 



217 



to him, lie mentioned with peculiar gratitude 
the visit of his Royal Highness Prince Albert 
of Prussia, who had lived in the Greek convent 
during his sojourn in J erusalem. The Patriarch 
has always entertained very friendly opinions 
of the Christians, and much may, therefore, be 
expected from his elevation, with reference to 
this particular. 

The sects, or separated churches of the east, 
have very few representatives in Jerusalem. 
The Copts possess a convent near the pool of 
Hezekiah, which is exclusively devoted to the 
monks. The Abyssinians, whose church is 
nearly related to that of the Copts, and is 
under the government of the Coptic Patriarch 
at Cairo, have a convent, and pilgrims are not 
wanting who undertake the distant journey. 
But the most considerable is the Armenian 
church ; the position of which we learned to 
know better, by means of the mission to Smyrna 
and Constantinople : they have a Patriarch in 
Jerusalem, and possess the richest convent 
there, as well as the most beautiful and wealthy 
church, after those of the Greeks, that of 
St. James. They are conspicuously distinguished 
from their brethren by their enlightenment 
and piety, and they have lost less of the inward 
reality of christian faith than any of the rest. 
They have also been the most zealous in 
preserving communion with Protestants. 

We had the best opportunity of observing 
the oriental Christians during the time of the 
Easter festival. As the Greek Church observes 
different regulations with reference to this 
feast, it seldom falls at the same time with that 



218 



THE CHRISTIANS. 



of the Christians of the west ; this year it 
occurred four weeks later, in the middle of 
April. This is the most beautiful time of year 
in J erusalem : the mountains are robed in 
the freshest green — the valleys are covered 
with verdant fields : it is as if the past glory 
of the Promised Land returned for a little 
season. Nearly five thousand pilgrims were 
assembled, which is so much the more re- 
markable when we consider how much each one 
has to pay for himself, and for those of his 
relations who are left in the convents, and at 
the holy places. The streets of the town were 
full of strangers, and the mountains and valleys 
were covered with groups, who, in the joy of 
the present, forgot the past toils of the pil- 
grimage, and gave themselves up to unruffled 
happiness. That which at other times of the 
year holds good could not be said now : u The 
streets of Zion lie waste, because no man 
cometh to the feast." No — it was now indeed 
the city " whither the tribes go up together." 

In company with the pilgrims we went to 
the Jordan, and then witnessed their great 
solemnity in the church of the Sepulchre — the 
miracle of the holy fire. A beautiful old custom is 
here transformed into a lamentable superstition. 
As the Lord left the night of the grave at his 
resurrection, and became " a light to lighten 
the nations," so, on Good- Friday evening, all 
the lamps in the Sepulchre church are ex- 
tinguished, and continue so until Easter eve, 
when they suddenly blaze forth again. This 
custom has been perverted to the superstition 
that fire is given by miracle to the Patriarch in 



THE CHRISTIANS. 



219 



the chapel of the Sepulchre, and the people 
regard it as a remarkable blessing if they can 
light their tapers by it. On Good-Friday 
evenings therefore, several thousand Christians 
repair to the church, there to spend the night. 
Mothers come -with their little children, and 
provisions ; and even pipes, are taken to the 
house of God. There is an indescribable 
disorder and impurity in the halls of the church. 
As the late arrival, or non-appearance of the 
heavenly fire, is regarded as a Divine punish- 
ment, the people begin to go in procession 
round the chapel of the Holy Sepulchre, and 
gradually accelerate their pace. Since the time 
of Ibrahim Pasha, the Turkish military have 
kept the place open. On Easter Saturday, 
about noon, we repaired to the Latin gallery in 
the halls surrounding the rotunda. The crowd 
was already in the greatest agitation ; whole 
hosts, particularly of young people, ran wild 
about the chapel, holding up their candles, 
and crying, " Lord have mercy ! " Where the 
ranks had become the densest, one or more 
sprang upon them, and laid themselves upon the 
heads beneath, until some running away, those 
from above fell down ; others were being carried 
upon men's shoulders, in order to shriek out 
their prayers so much the nearer Heaven. 
Some lost nearly all their clothing ; Turkish 
whips and clubs could scarcely restrain the 
fanatics. At last, about one o'clock, the Turkish 
Pasha, who is present every year, appeared 
before the Latin gallery, and soon the large 
procession of the clergy approached with great 
state ; but it was only by extreme exertion on 



220 



THE CHRISTIANS. 



the part of the Turkish troops that they 
managed to march twice round the chapel. 
The Greek and Armenian Patriarchs then laid 
their magnificent robes aside, and entered the 
chapel of the grave. The Turkish military re- 
tired ; and the cries and prayers of the people in- 
creased to the highest pitch. A small light at last 
appeared from one of the little windows of the 
chapel, and in a few minutes the whole church 
was changed into a sea of flame, while shouts 
of joy resounded from all parts. The priests 
could scarcely obtain room for the thanksgiving 
procession. When this was ended, the people 
extinguished their tapers, and the smoke as- 
cended from the opened dome, as after a 
conflagration. Considerable sums are paid for 
the honour of first kindling a light from the 
Patriarch's flame. One Armenian had given 
about a thousand thalers* for it. Turks, as well 
as Latins, were present with ourselves at this 
scene. The Armenians would long ago have 
done away with it, but for the opposition of 
the Greeks, who refuse thus openly to acknow- 
ledge their predecessors as cheats, and are 
also afraid of a considerable diminution of 
pilgrims. In the evening, we again repaired 
to the church. It was now illuminated by 
countless lamps and candles, causing the rich 
gilding to glitter with blinding lustre ; indeed 
I have seldom witnessed so brilliant a sight. 
But the floor was covered with the people, 
many of whom had brought beds with them ; 
they now lay, eat, drank, and smoked. Mothers 



* A hundred and fifty pounds sterling. — -Trans, 



THE CHRISTIANS. 



221 



nursed their restless children ; others slept, and 
the younger part of the assembly danced and 
shouted about the chapel of the grave in the 
wildest manner. Thus did the Christians await 
the hour of Christ's resurrection. 

The more repulsive such ceremonies became 
to us, and the less the eastern Christians ap- 
peared to exhibit of simplicity and child-likeness, 
the more did we feel inclined to acknowledge 
our geographical and historical relation with 
the western and Roman Christians. The 
majority of these consist of native Arabians, 
who, since the time of the crusades, have gone 
over to the Romish church. They, like all the 
other Latin christians and monks in the Holy 
Land, are under the convent of St. Salvador, 
at Jerusalem ; the monks of which consist 
partly of Italians, and partly of Spaniards ; 
and the Superior is intrusted by the Pope with 
the chief direction of ecclesiastical affairs in 
the Promised Land. The monks themselves 
are Franciscans or Minorites ; but are different 
from the regular missionaries ; most of them 
being sent to the Holy Land for three years, as 
a punishment ; from which circumstance we can 
easily imagine what their character must be. 
Protestants and Catholics unite in complaints 
of this abuse. They have, nevertheless, ac- 
quired particular merit by their hospitable 
reception of pilgrims. The poor are boarded 
gratuitously in their convent for a month in 
the most generous manner ; and the great want 
of inns has hitherto rendered this a service of 
great importance. The Protestants, also, have 
unfortunately till the present time been obliged 



§22 THE PROTESTANT BISHOPRIC. 



to repair there. What use the monks make of 
this reception of Protestants is proved by the 
fact that, during our stay in Jerusalem, seven 
German artificers were received into the bosom 
of the Romish church. The number of inde- 
pendent convents there, which belong to the 
66 Terra Santa/' is about twenty, and two hun- 
dred monks inhabit them. In general, the 
worship of the Latins is distinguished from 
that of the orientals by its greater order and 
tranquillity, which may certainly be in a great 
measure owing to the comparatively small 
number of the former. 



CHAPTER VIII. 



THE PROTESTANT BISHOPRIC. 

We must now minutely examine the position 
of the Protestants in Jerusalem. 

The first Protestants who felt the necessity 
of having representatives at the grave of our 
Saviour, and of causing the clear light of the 
Gospel bestowed on them, to shine there, were 
those who are, geographically, the farthest 
from Jerusalem. It was the Missionary Society 
of the North American Presbyterian Church, 
which, to the shame of all Europe, first esta- 
blished a station, in order especially to offer 
the help of their active love to the eastern 



THE PROTESTANT BISHOPRIC. 22$ 



Christians. They were followed by the London 
Society for the Diffusion of Christianity among 
the J ews, composed of members of the English 
Church. It directed its attention to the large 
number of resident Jews in Jerusalem ; sending, 
first, Pieritz from Prussia, and then Nicolayson 
from Sleswig, who, without any protection, 
pursued their arduous labours. They were, at 
first, considerably facilitated by the government 
of Ibrahim Pasha, which was yery favourable 
to the Christians, who were now permitted to 
obtain ground property — a privilege hitherto 
restricted to the subjects of the Porte. 

The American missionaries bought houses, in 
one of which the Prussian Consul at present 
resides, and a large burying-place upon Mount 
Zion. Nicolayson purchased a considerable 
piece of ground within the town, upon Mount 
Zion, between the tower of David and his 
own house, and began to build a place of 
worship on it. He held regular services in 
English and Hebrew ; and afterwards, when 
he limited his labours to the German Jews, in 
the German language. The English govern- 
ment then endeavoured to give some support 
to his position, by the nomination of Mr. Young 
as Consul in Jerusalem, who was, at the same 
time, a warm friend to the mission for Israel. 

Such was the situation of the Protestants 
when, in 1840, by a treaty between the Great 
Powers, the troops of Mehemet Ali were 
driven out of Syria, and the Porte again 
obtained possession of the country. This epoch 
was employed by king Frederick William IV., 
who had long loved Jerusalem, and had seen 



224 THE PROTESTANT BISHOPRIC. 



with pain that German Protestants had no 
representatives at the grave of their Saviour. 
He knew the difficult position of Protestants 
in Syria, and how they were neglected there ; 
and was also aware that the English Church, 
labouring almost exclusively among German 
Jews, was served by German missionaries, 
He was, at the same time, deeply grieved by 
the party contentions of Christians, raising 
the abomination of desolation in holy places. 
Firmly as the king was determined on esta- 
blishing an ecclesiastical point of support for 
the evangelical German pilgrims in Jerusalem, 
he was equally decided on commencing no new 
contest, and on not opposing the church already 
labouring there in the German language. 

He was enabled to carry his views into 
execution, by the Church of England de- 
termining, in common with the king of Prussia, 
to found an English bishopric at Jerusalem, 
which would unite under its protection the 
present English mission, and any future eccle- 
siastical institutions that might be undertaken 
on the part of the Germans ; supporting them 
by the countenance of both the Protestant 
powers. England, as well as Prussia, convinced 
of the essential oneness of the two churches, 
entered into the proposition with great readiness. 
As the English Church, however, only recognises 
ordination when performed by a bishop in 
apostolical succession, and regards the ordi- 
nance of confirmation as their peculiar pre- 
rogative, it required that German clergymen 
in Jerusalem, under episcopal oversight, should 
be ordained by a bishop of the Anglican church, 



THE PROTESTANT BISHOPRIC. 225 

and that the ordinance of confirmation after 
the order of the evangelical church of Prussia, 
should be followed by the laying on of his 
hands. To this, the king readily consented ; 
especially as a good understanding with the 
churches of the east, which attach much im- 
portance to episcopal ordination and apostolical 
succession, would be facilitated by it. The 
contract was thus concluded with universal 
unanimity. The king of Prussia furnished half 
the income of the bishop, besides a considerable 
sum for the building of a Protestant church, 
to be erected upon Mount Zion. The other 
half of the bishop's revenue was collected in 
England ; and the Society for the Promotion 
of Christianity among the Jews, undertook to 
support all the other institutions that might be 
formed in Jerusalem. Alexander, an active 
clergyman of the English society, and an 
Israelite, born in the Prussian Grand Duchy 
of Posen, was immediately consecrated bishop. 
He had for a long time laboured as a missionary 
among the Jews at Dantzic, and on the 21st 
of January, 1842, entered the city of his 
fathers. 

The position of the Protestants now suddenly 
took a different aspect. Alexander was received 
with all due respect, and the Protestants 
joined in a procession with the other christian 
churches. The English Missionary Society 
extended its exertions in an eminent degree ; 
and a chaplain, two missionaries, and three 
physicians, accompanied the bishop. The 
minister of the little congregation already 
formed was Mr. Nicolayson ; the second mis- 

Q 



226 THE PROTESTANT BISHOPKIC. 

sionary, Mr. Ewald, was absent in England 
during our visit. A Hebrew service is held 
daily, with the exception of Sunday, consisting 
principally of the English liturgy, translated 
into the Hebrew language. In the afternoon 
of every day, the evening prayers are read in 
English. On Sunday, worship is held twice, 
and two sermons are preached ; there is, also, 
a German service in the afternoon. As no 
clergymen have hitherto been sent from 
Germany, and the Prussian agenda has not 
yet been introduced, this service consists, first, 
of the evening prayers of the English church 
in the German language, and then, of the 
singing of a hymn — after which Nicolayson, 
or Ewald, delivers a sermon. Both these clergy- 
men are distinguished for peculiar piety, depth, 
and kindly disposition. Besides these services, 
on every second Wednesday of the month, 
there is a missionary meeting, when the little 
congregation is informed respecting the ope- 
rations of christian missions, and encouraged 
to the same blessed work. The communi- 
cations are imparted in English and German ; 
and in a foreign land, and a missionary 
station, the tidings of the conflicts or vic- 
tories of christian faith upon the earth, have 
a singularly elevating power. With respect 
to the number of attendants on public worship, 
they amounted at the time of Easter, to more 
than a hundred at the English service, and 
sixty at the sacrament connected with it ; forty 
at the German service, and more than twenty 
at the Hebrew ; when, with the Easter festival, 
some of the strangers had left, the number 



THE PROTESTANT BISHOPRIC. 227 

attending the English and German worship 
was not so considerable, amounting to about 
seventy and thirty. The congregations met 
in a part of the place of worship commenced 
by Nicolayson, but the foundations of the 
church close to it were already laid. On 
account of the heaps of rubbish covering Zion, 
they had to be dug forty feet deep ; the walls 
were six feet high, and most of the stones 
were hewn and prepared ; so that now, after 
the permission conferred by the Porte, the 
Protestant church upon Mount Zion will soon 
be completed. 

The operations of the mission are farther 
supported by several other institutions. There 
is a seminary for proselytes, who will hereafter 
devote themselves to missionary work among 
their brethren according to the flesh. Under the 
superintendent, who is a true believer, are six 
young men, one of whom is a converted Rabbi. 
Instruction is imparted by the two mission- 
aries, and by the Bishop's chaplain, Mr. Veitch, 
who is the director of the institution. The 
German language and singing are taught by a 
Wiirtemberger, named Krause, who also leads 
the singing in the German worship. An artisan's 
school is established for a few proselytes, in 
which, under the pious master, a native of 
Bavaria, two young men are instructed by 
three German companions. Besides necessary 
work, small souvenirs, made from the olive 
wood of the Mount of Olives, are prepared 
here, and are purchased by the protestant 
travellers as precious mementos of Jerusalem. 
The daily family devotions are entirely con- 

q 2 



228 THE PROTESTANT BISHOPRIC. 



ducted in the German language. A little 
farther off, is the hospital, which has been 
erected at a great expense, and is a large 
detached building near the church upon Mount 
Zion. It is the finest house in Jerusalem, and 
is distinguished for its large and healthy rooms. 
The establishment is conducted with English 
care and neatness, and the two physicians, 
Macgowan and Nickol, have undertaken its 
management. On two days of the week, the 
sick of different nations and religions assemble 
in a consultation room to receive gratuitous 
medical advice ; the well-furnished apothecary's 
shop is under the third physician, Bergheim. 
Medicines are gratuitously dispensed, and 
about eight hundred recipes a month are pre- 
pared. The hospital is intended for Jews, but 
English and German travellers have nevertheless 
been received. 

Looking at this series of institutions, which 
in a short space of time have grown so con- 
siderable, and which all proceed from the 
Society for the Promotion of Christianity among 
the Jews, we must indeed wonder at the active 
love of our English brethren. Even the women 
and girls of England were emulous in pre- 
paring with their own hands the robes for 
the ecclesiastics at J erusalem ; and it is related, 
that a blind girl, as far as she was able, assisted 
in the work. 

The mightier these exertions are, the greater 
has been the animosity manifested towards them 
in England and Germany. It has been objected 
to the mission that its results are not in pro- 
portion to the magnitude of the means employed. 



THE PROTESTANT BISHOPRIC. 229 



But independently of the recent date of these 
institutions, we have already remarked that 
the mission encounters the greatest obstacles 
from the Jews at Jerusalem. It is also alleged, 
that those already baptized have been bought 
with gold ; it is easy to understand that this is 
an untruth. Nevertheless, as the majority of 
Jews, (especially those from Germany,) esta- 
blished in Jerusalem, entirely subsist upon the 
alms of their distant brethren, and the difficrdty 
of procuring a livelihood by manual labour 
being great, it is obvious, that almost all the 
baptized Jews are on their conversion reduced 
to beggary. There is, therefore, no choice but 
to give them the means of returning to Europe, 
or to employ them in Jerusalem. The last 
expedient is adopted by the Society, as being 
the best for the spiritual interests of the prose- 
lytes ; and they are therefore placed, according 
to their abilities or inclinations, in the seminary 
or the artisan's school. Those who are married 
have hitherto been employed in another place. 
If this be called buying the converts, it must be 
regarded only as a misapprehension of their 
peculiar circumstances, which demand a mode 
of procedure quite different from that adopted 
in Europe. Finally, it is objected that the con- 
version of the proselytes is not genuine ; that 
their life does not testify the perfect change of 
mind peculiar to a faithful christian, and that 
their progress is more in appearance than in 
reality. We will not refer to the position of 
christians, nor to the spiritual state of the pro- 
selytes among ourselves ; but baptism does not 
betoken the perfection of the christian life ; and if 



230 THE PROTESTANT BISHOPRIC. 



a severity, which people only exercise when they 
wish to find fault, had been employed by the 
apostles and the first christians, they would 
not have baptized so many as the scriptures 
have recorded. In any case, this objection is 
not peculiar to the J ewish mission, but regards 
the whole christian church of the present day. 

We must not forget that the work of the 
mission is still in its commencement, so that 
it has numerous hinderances to overcome ; 
and, while we regret that brotherly love and 
unity are wanting among the few members of 
the church, by whom they should be particularly 
displayed in J erusalem, we must, nevertheless, 
regard these beginnings with real joy. We 
entreat the Lord that the mission may be 
enabled, both outwardly and inwardly, to carry 
on its difficult work with self-denial and 
resignation. 

A very heavy loss was sustained by the 
institution upon Zion, in the autumn of last 
year. Bishop Alexander had set out upon 
a journey to England on business, and before 
reaching Cairo became the victim of a sudden 
and fatal sickness. The Lord took him from 
all the sufferings of his painful position into 
the glory that shall be revealed to the children 
of God. He had scarcely passed four years in 
his blessed sphere of activity. He had had to 
overcome the great difficulties necessarily at- 
tendant on the first appearance of a Protestant 
Bishop in Jerusalem ; and they were increased 
not a little in his case, from his being personally 
unacquainted with the eastern language and 
manners. But through the strength of his 



THE PROTESTANT BISHOPRIC. 231 



faith, he was, nevertheless, enabled to obtain a 
desirable position : and I must particularly men- 
tion the sympathizing love with which the 
sainted Bishop received the Germans who 
visited Jerusalem, and how much he has 
thereby merited the grateful remembrance of 
the Protestants in our fatherland. 

According to the agreement with England, the 
king of Prussia had this time to nominate a new 
Bishop. His choice fell upon Samuel Gobat, 
a clergyman of the Church of England, and 
principal of a seminary at Malta. Born in the 
canton of Berne, and a pupil at the missionary 
institution at Basle, Gobat is singularly qualified 
for his new position. He had visited Jerusalem 
nineteen years before ; was for many years an 
active missionary in Egypt and Abyssinia, and 
was even for a short time among the Druses in 
Lebanon. So that he has himself been a 
labourer in the whole of the district confided 
to his episcopal oversight. His remarkable 
adaptation for securing esteem and entrance 
among the Orientals, is abundantly proved by 
the happy results of his activity. The double 
relation he is called upon to sustain towards 
England and Germany is facilitated by his 
having stood in equal proximity to both the 
churches during his whole career. We must, 
indeed, join in the opinion expressed by a 
tried friend of the mission, that the choice of 
this Bishop renders it evident that the Lord 
graciously owns the Bishopric at Jerusalem. 

Bishop Samuel finds many of those difficulties 
removed which his predecessor had to encounter. 
His facility in holding intercourse with the 



232 THE GERMAN PROTESTANTS. 

eastern people will be a great assistance to him ; 
while the singular strength of his faith, and 
the deep impression of his personal holiness, 
secure him the prayers and sympathy of the 
friends of missions in Europe ; and cause us 
with confidence to express the prayerful salu 
tation : " The Lord shall bless thee out of Zion : 
and thou shalt see the good of Jerusalem all 
the days of thy life. 5 '* 



CHAPTER IX. 

THE GERMAN PROTESTANTS. 

Among the Protestants at Jerusalem, the 
Germans were most numerously represented. 
The bishop, both the missionaries, all the mem- 
bers of the seminary and the artisan's school, 
one of the physicians, and the eight proselyte 
families, were Germans, or German Jews ; and 
.the German language was the most prevalent 
among them, though the English was the official. 
But all these being in connection with the 
English missionary society, and members of 
the Anglican church, do not enter into the 
consideration of the position of the German 
evangelical church in Jerusalem. 

By his contributions to the episcopal revenue, 
and the building of the church, the king had 



* Psalm cxxviii. 5. 



THE GERMAN PROTESTANTS. 233 



secured to German congregations or individuals, 
the right of placing themselves under the 
protection of the Bishop. Besides this, a col- 
lection was made in the whole Prussian church 
to establish a hospice, a pilgrim's house, and, 
if possible, a school. Preparations were also 
made for the publication of a hymn book, and 
an agenda for the church at Mount Zion. The 
collection amounted to a considerable sum ; 
but, owing to the customary course of adminis- 
tration among us, and the actual expenditure 
of the money, a long time was necessarily 
consumed, and the arrangements are only now 
commenced. The sending a candidate, who 
after being sworn in upon the symbolical books 
of our church* by our consistory, was afterwards 
to be ordained in Jerusalem to the work of the 
ministry, also delayed the proceedings. 

It only remained for the Germans to nominate 
a Prussian consul, Dr. Schultz, who, by his 
religious character, his kind attentions, and his 
distinguished scientific researches, has gained 
universal esteem. Thus the former position of 
the Germans in Jerusalem had been but a 
preliminary one, and the only service they 
enjoyed was the German worship connected 
with the English mission, which, however, 
had been much extended in grateful acknow- 
ledgment of the king's assistance. On the 
establishment of the Bishop, the thought was 
suggested of uniting the ecclesiastical insti- 
tutions, both English and German, under him 

* The books of the Confession of Augsburg ; the 
Formulae Concordise of Luther. — Trans, 



234 THE GERMAN PROTESTANTS. 



as the common head ; for English foundations 
exclusively had been hitherto under his con- 
trol, and Germans had only the right of 
expecting his external protection, and his 
pastoral care. 

The Protestants of Germany have rested 
satisfied with this. They have confined them- 
selves to their own trifling contributions ; 
and works of love, or marks of sympathy for 
Jerusalem, have proceeded neither from the 
J ewish Missionary Society, nor from individual 
christians. The German Protestants who went 
to settle in the Holy City, were unfortunately 
poor, and required outward help. The bishop 
and the missionaries received them into their 
houses, and liberally assisted them from their 
private means ; but could not of course apply 
the money, destined by the missionary society 
for the Jews and proselytes, to the relief of the 
poor German Protestants. 

Instead of German hearts awakening to make 
generous contributions, they sought to excuse 
their own inactivity by unkind accusations ; 
they complained that the Germans in Jerusalem 
were neglected, when the money collected in 
England was expressly designed for the J ews ; 
and it was only owing to the love of the clergy 
that any thing was given to Germans. They 
were also aggrieved, that in the institutions 
founded by the English mission, that language 
was constantly being brought more into use ; 
while such a course of procedure lies in the 
nature of the case, and we may be certain that 
in the future German institutions our own 
language will be employed. These complaints 



THE GERMAN PROTESTANTS. 235 



were principally used in order to discountenance 
an alliance with England, and to urge the inde- 
pendent operations of Germany. But, besides 
the great spectacle of christian unanimity thus 
exhibited at the holy sepulchre, the place, alas ! 
of christian dissensions, the difficulties which 
Prussia would have to encounter in association 
with the Great Powers of the East, render it 
obvious that alone it could have effected little. 
And had a German clergyman been established in 
Jerusalem, without the co-operation of England, 
the English mission would not have given up 
its German service, to which, all the present 
attendants would have confined themselves. 
There would have been two services without 
any association between them ; the German 
clergyman would have had the Prussian consul 
and a few Germans under him as hearers, while 
the greater number would have attended the 
mission worship. German Protestants may, 
therefore, readily acquiesce in the trifling 
requirements of the English church, that their 
clergy should be ordained by an English 
Bishop, (and we may rejoice if it be performed 
by a believing Protestant) ; and that after the 
customary rite of confirmation by the German 
clergy, the English Bishop also, in a special 
solemnity, should lay his hands upon the can- 
didates. Under these conditions, we will 
readily take the extended hand, and place 
ourselves in the position of those, who, in 
christian communion at the Saviour's sepulchre, 
can join in our home songs — hear our home 
prayers — and be edified by a sermon after our 
home manner. Had our brethren, instead of 



236 



THE GERMAN PROTESTANTS. 



judging about that with which they were un- 
acquainted, been able to place themselves in the 
position of the German Protestants, their un- 
righteous complaints respecting others would 
have been changed into self-accusations. 

Little as the independent establishment of 
the Germans in Jerusalem is now feasible, it is 
yet the object of our hope ; and the institution 
of the Bishopric affords a prospect of a larger, 
and an entirely free German church system in 
the Holy Land. In the immediate future, 
certainly much cannot be expected, as the great 
political insecurity of the land is an obstacle in 
a wide circle, and individual Europeans find 
it difficult to prosper among the people of the 
east. But so much the more necessary is an 
active sympathy among our brethren at home 
for the Germans there ; and in Jerusalem espe- 
cially the demand for it is most pressing. There 
are many hundreds of our countrymen in the 
east, particularly of the class of artificers. 
Their skill and perseverance cause them to be 
much sought after ; and as high prices are paid 
for European work, they obtain more than 
sufficient profit. But the facility with which 
they can acquire it, proves a snare to seduce 
them into all kinds of vice ; and it is unfor- 
tunately but too well known how soon the 
Germans in foreign lands overstep the bounds 
of propriety and morality. While in all the 
large towns of the east, English churches, 
chapels, and clergy, are found ; and while the 
Roman Catholics especially have numerous 
emissaries everywhere, the German Protestants 
receive no pastoral care from the church of 



THE GERMAN PROTESTANTS. 237 



their native land. Some, therefore, go over to 
other churches, but the majority sink religiously 
and morally lower and lower ; so that when a 
crime is spoken of, it is repeated as a proverb 
by the people of Egypt and of the Holy Land, 
that a German has done it. In Jerusalem 
and the East it has become almost a disgrace 
to be a German ; this is, unfortunately, no 
exaggeration — it is a matter of fact. The 
exhortation of Nehemiah is therefore applicable 
to our church : — " Come, and let us build up 
the wall of Jerusalem, that we be no more a 
reproach." 

But however deep may be the fall of the 
German, he always retains some feelings upon 
which it is easy to work. Many happy proofs 
of this have been shewn at Constantinople, 
where the king has appointed a chaplain to the 
embassy, to whom the care of the Germans is 
also confided. Many young men converted 
there, have become the instruments of good to 
their companions. The more delightful and 
animating these results are, the more is it to be 
regretted, that in places like Alexandria and 
Cairo, where several hundred Germans re- 
side, no attempt has been made to procure 
pastoral superintendence ! What a glorious 
sphere of action, and how exactly answering 
its intention, would this be for our Gustavus 
Adolphus Society ! 

The position of the Germans in the east, and 
particularly in Jerusalem, is rendered more sad 
from the fact, that those who come as settlers 
consist almost entirely of poor ; while from 
other countries, especially from England, many 



238 



THE GERMAN PROTESTANTS, 



wealthy persons are induced, out of love to the 
east, to take up their residence there. For some 
time, there has been a constant succession of 
English in J erusalem, who, from pure love to 
the City, have remained in it for a longer or 
shorter time, and have given their support to 
the mission. Such Europeans form a safe and 
honourable christian centre, around which others 
cluster. May a similar love for the Holy Land 
be soon found among ourselves ! It appears to 
be already awakening. The number of travellers 
from Germany increases. A powerful example 
has been set by His Royal Highness Prince 
Albert, of Prussia ; through whose visit, the 
situation of the German Protestants in the east 
was much ameliorated ; and the results of the 
expedition, sent under Professor Lepsius, have 
also been very beneficial. With the facility of 
communication, may the number of those in- 
crease who follow the road to Zion, from love to 
the Holy City, to Israel, and to the millions of 
eastern people on whom the clear light of the 
Gospel has not yet shined ! 

We hope it so much the more, as God has 
manifestly called the German Church in the east 
to action. I will not speak of the travellers who 
now go out of our country as propagators of 
crime, and should, therefore, drive us to send 
out true christian missionaries. But it is a re- 
markable fact, that almost all the ministers in 
the service of the different missionary societies 
in the east, are natives of Germany. They 
testify equally of the gifts imparted to our 
people, and of the indolence of our christians, 
which obliges them to enter into the service of 



THE GERMAN PROTESTANTS. 



239 



other churches. Moreover, the half of all the 
Jews are natives of our own land. There are 
several thousands in Cairo and Alexandria, 
about three thousand in Jerusalem, and a con- 
siderable number in Hebrew, Saphet, and 
Tiberias. There is, therefore, no European 
language so extensively spoken in the Holy 
Land and in Jerusalem, as the German. This 
is manifestly a call of God to our church to 
work there. While the clergy of other nations 
learn our language with great labour, or English 
and American missionary societies seek to sup- 
ply their churches from among the German 
divines, who must there learn English, would 
it not be the more natural way — the way indi- 
cated by the Lord — for the German people to 
rouse themselves to missionary activity, in the 
place where God, by the extension of their lan- 
guage, has facilitated the way ? And should 
we not praise the grace of God, which has 
selected for us the Promised Land, the most 
holy place on earth? Should not this act 
as a most animating impulse to fulfil, with all 
our energies, the commission given to our 
highly-favoured people ? But, in spite of this — 
in spite of the abandonment of our German 
Protestants in the east, the institutions upon 
Mount Zion have not only received little sym- 
pathy, but much strenuous opposition. The 
daily increasing zeal for the Israelitish mission, 
permits us to hope better things from the future ; 
and the constantly augmenting band of believers 
will not fail to keep Jerusalem in their hearts. 
The resistance made to the Romish Church in 
the fatherland, should make us feel the dis- 



240 



THE GERMAN PROTESTANTS. 



grace of abandoning to its allurements, our 
brethren in the faith in a distant land. We will 
take care that it shall no more be our fault 
if circumstances occur similar to the proceedings 
which took place during my sojourn in Jeru- 
salem, when at one Easter festival, close to 
Golgotha — close to the place of Christ's death — 
seven German Protestants solemnly renounced 
the doctrine of justification by faith in the 
merits of Christ alone. We will encourage our- 
selves by another case that was communicated to 
me at the same time. A German pilgrim came to 
one of the clergymen : he had been formerly in- 
duced, from outward considerations, to go over 
to the Romish Church, but the reproaches of his 
conscience continually increased^ and he could 
find no rest for his soul. He did all that the 
priests enjoined, but without avail ; and at last de- 
termined on undertaking a toilsome pilgrimage to 
Jerusalem. After many sufferings and severe 
illnesses, he reached the place. He had longed 
for consolation, but the Easter festival was over, 
and he had not found it. He now desparingly 
came and enquired, whether the Evangelical 
Church had comfort for him. The free grace of 
God in Christ Jesus was made known to him; 
he received a New Testament, and found what 
he sought for in Jerusalem. 

Small as the beginnings of the Evangelical 
German Church may be, they were refreshing 
and animating to our hearts, which for months 
had been deprived of such communion. We 
felt bound to the congregation by ties of inex- 
pressible closeness, on the occasion of Bishop 
Alexander's summoning an assembly of Germans 



THE GERMAN PROTESTANTS. 



241 



to hear us. It was on the Wednesday after 
Misericord Sunday, at the evening hour when 
innumerable believers assemble in our native 
land for quiet devotion, that with forty Germans 
we met in the large room of the Seminary. We 
sung the animating song of Zion, 66 Awake ! 
exclaims the watchman's voice upon the battle- 
ment. Awake! Thou city Jerusalem!" The 
missionary Nicolayson then began with an 
earnest prayer ; after which I spoke on the 
spot where the gracious words of the son of 
God were heard, where the fiery tongues of the 
apostles flamed. My heart was overflowing 
with emotion ; I can only give an idea of what 
flowed from my lips. 

66 What shall I say ? My soul is so moved, 
that my voice is choked in tears of gratitude 
and joy ! It is as though I heard the word of 
the Lord, 6 Sing, O heavens ; and be joyful, 
O earth ; break forth into singing, O moun- 
tains ! ' In the holiest place on the earth, the 
place once chosen by God, as the temple of 
his dwelling, where, on Golgotha, the Lamb of 
God poured out his blood, united in commu- 
nion with evangelical Christians, praising God, 
in our dear German tongue, let us be glad ! 
The praise of God was the mark of his children 
from the beginning, and it will be the happiness 
of the perfected ones ! The more we praise the 
Lord now, the more do we take part in the 
glory of his kingdom ; let us praise him with 
singing ! Out of a distant land, the common 
home of many of us, I am come as a voice of 
triumph to the faithful in Zion ! On the anni- 
versary of the arrival of the Eight Reverend 

R 



£42 THE GERMAN PROTESTANTS* 



Bishop Alexander, hosts of pious Christians 
were assembled to thank the Lord. Again, last 
year, the same thankful strains were heard; and 
yet, these loud sounds of gratitude are but weak 
tones, compared with the praises offered to the 
Lord, by the hearts of those of his children 
who long, with fervour, to stand where we 
stand, but to whom it is not permitted to go up 
to Zion, although their hearts now ascend in 
prayer, that we may praise and give thanks. To 
us, who have been but sojourners for a short 
time in Jerusalem, still more to you, who have 
longer had your dwelling here, a voice comes 
from the distance : Rejoice, sing, praise the 
Lord ! And what is the cause of the joy of 
Zion ? 6 The Lord has comforted his people, 
and has had mercy on his afflicted ones.' The 
tribes of the heathen have turned to the God of 
Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Times of new 
awakening, of God's gracious visitation, are ac- 
corded to our fatherland ; and faith has been 
accompanied by love to Jerusalem and to Israel. 
In Berlin, and in several other towns, Jewish 
Missionary Societies have been formed, for the 
spiritual and temporal care of the converts. 
One clergyman among us has baptized more 
than a hundred Jews, many of whom have 
proved themselves Christ's true disciples. 
Several of his believing ambassadors, and even 
one of the most useful ministers of God in Ger- 
many, are sons of Israel, according to the flesh. 
We see and hear that c The Lord has com- 
forted his people ; rejoice and give thanks ! ' 

" Do these tones of joy resound among the 
hills and valleys of Jerusalem ? 6 Zion saith, 



THE GERMAN PROTESTANTS. 243 

the Lord hath forsaken me.' Complaints and 
sorrow fill our hearts, and we forget our own 
superior advantages in thinking of what we 
desire and covet. Zion is not yet what it shall 
he. The ruins of destruction still cover the 
holy mountain ; the number of unbelievers is 
great ; and few yet praise the Lord on Zion. 
And well may it be so ; for the number of 
Christians upon the earth is trifling ; and their 
guilt and individual indolence are great. Let 
us pray, that our guilt in the grief of Zion 
may become less and less. He who believes 
cannot complain ; faith is the victory that has 
overcome the world. Let us advance in this 
faith ; for to stand still is impossible. We re- 
trograde every day that we do not advance. 
Prois made by growing humility. He who 
knows that he can do nothing without the 
Lord prays truly. May, then, your humility 
greatly increase; then will you pray in faith, 
and the prayer of faith can remove moun- 
tains. You will pray not only from necessity, 
but from love. You will have communion of 
heart with the Lord — the most blessed commu- 
nion on earth, which rises above terrestrial 
things to heavenly realities. Communion with 
the head unites us to the members ; and inter- 
course with Christ sanctifies and blesses inter- 
course with the brethren ; therefore, you will 
be strong in love. Pray without ceasing ; and 
may your prayer on Zion ascend, w T ith those of 
thousands in a far off land for Zion, in one 
flame to the throne of God. You will forget 
the grief of Zion ; and, in faith, rejoice, praise, 
and give thanks ! 

r 2 



g44 



THE GERMAN PROTESTANTS. 



" Faith, which grasps the invisible as though 
it saw it, gives power to keep joyful in the 
midst of pain, for it hears the consolation of 
Zion, ' Can a woman forget her sucking child, 
that she should not have compassion on the son 
of her womb ? Yea, they may forget, yet will 
not I forget thee. Behold, I have graven thee 
upon the palms of my hands; thy walls are 
continually before me. 5 By faith we see the 
bright promises of God fulfilled. We are now 
united upon Mount Zion, but the time of sepa- 
ration will soon arrive ; tears will often fill our 
eyes, and sorrow for the grief of Zion will bow 
us down, — but the time is coming when the 
redeemed of the Lord will return, and come 
again with songs and everlasting joy upon their 
heads; they shall obtain joy and gladness, and 
sorrow and sighing shall flee away. The tokens 
of destruction will vanish ; Jerusalem, the Holy 
City, will come down from God out of heaven, 
prepared as a bride adorned for her husband, 
she will glitter with her walls of precious stones, 
and with her gates of pearls. She will be illu- 
minated with the glory of God, and her light 
will be the X/amb. And all who believe in the 
Lamb of God that taketh away the sin of the 
world, shall walk in the light thereof. The 
millipns who long in vain, that their feet should 
stand within the gates of the earthly Jerusalem, 
will appear within the heavenly city. Oh! 
that none of us who are now pilgrims and 
strangers on the earthly Zion, may be excluded 
from the heavenly ! Oh that this hour of com- 
munion may be for all of us a preparation for the 
perfect and everlasting praises of God's glorious 



THE GERMAN PROTESTANTS. 



245 



grace in the heavenly Jerusalem. Lord God, 
the king of Zion, the king of our hearts, hear 
us graciously ! Amen ! " 

It was difficult for me to conclude, but I was 
obliged to do so. They were words upon Zion 
upon which I shall all my life look back with 
gratitude. It was the first time that a clergy- 
man of the Evangelical church of Germany, 
and particularly of Prussia, had spoken to such 
an assembly of Evangelical German Christians. 
I was immediately followed by my travelling 
companion. He related the brilliant progress 
of the Rhenish Westphalian Union for Israel ; 
and gave a deeply moving account of the con- 
version of a Rabbi, testifying of Christ with 
all the fervour of his believing soul. Mr. 
Nicolayson added a few affectionate words to our 
addresses, showing the great responsibility of 
those to whom it was permitted to sojourn on 
Mount Zion. We then triumphantly joined in 
the hymn of praise : " Now thank the Lord 
with heart and mouth!" Bishop Alexander 
pronounced the blessing at the conclusion of 
the never to be forgotten service. 



CHAPTER X. 
LIFE IN JERUSALEM. 

We were permitted to pass two full months 
in J erusalem, from the nineteenth of March to 



246 



LIFE IN JERUSALEM. 



the nineteenth of May, from Wednesday in 
Passion week, to Trinity Sunday, the end of 
the festival half of the Church year, and were 
able to become acquainted with it under its 
various aspects. It exhibited in March the 
barrenness of winter ; in April, the mountains 
and valleys shone with the freshest green, and 
the town was full of pilgrims ; in May it was 
again quiet, and the summer heat began to mar 
the beauty of the spring. 

The climate does not considerably differ from 
that of the south of Europe, or of Rome, ex- 
cepting that the heat of summer is much more 
oppressive, as the rain is almost entirely confined 
to the winter season. These rains generally 
come westward from the sea; thus our Lord 
said : " When ye see a cloud rise out of 
the west, straightway ye say, there cometh a 
shower. 5 '* It is precisely thus, and the east wind 
brings clear days again. The rains are most 
heavy in November and December, and con- 
tinue to abate until the end of March ; the first 
are the " former rains of scripture," and the 
others " the latter rains," which refresh the 
ripening fruits of the field. The roads in the 
whole of the Promised Land are rendered so bad 
during the winter by the torrents of water that 
travelling becomes extremely difficult, but these 
rains are the cause of the fruitfulness of the land, 
and furnish the adequate supply of water, for 
the town. It is singular that there are only two 
fountains in Jerusalem, the fountains of Mary 
and of Rogel ; the other supplies of water are, 



* Luke xiL 54. 



LIFE IN JERUSALEM. 



247 



therefore, collected in cisterns, which, receive 
the rain-water that streams from the flat or 
arched roofs of the houses. There are also 
large pools filled with water from the surround- 
ing mountains, or by means of canals, or aque- 
ducts. The largest is the aqueduct leading 
from Solomon's pool near Bethlehem to the 
temple. There is a remarkable well under the 
temple, and besides the Upper and Lower Gihon 
Pools, the pool of Hezekiah and that of Siloam ; 
there are others near or within the town, two 
by the gate of Stephen, and one by the Jaffa 
gate. All these contrivances rendered it possible 
always to provide Jerusalem with water, even 
when the population was densest, and the town 
most closely besieged ; and while the besiegers 
famished with thirst, and famine prevailed in the 
town, we never hear of distress for water. Now 
that the water courses and pools have fallen to 
decay, and the cisterns are neglected, the heat 
of the summer often brings with it the greatest 
suffering ; for from the beginning of April to the 
end of October, no rain falls, and should the 
winter be drier than usual, great distress is ex- 
perienced. While we were there, the smaller 
cisterns of the poor were exhausted even in 
May. April is, therefore, the happiest time for 
Jerusalem ; in May, the hot south wind gene- 
rally blows, and the summer gives to everything 
a look of barrenness and dryness. There is 
more sickness in Jerusalem than in any other 
part of Syria : it is the most unhealthy place, and 
fever and plague here demand the largest num- 
ber of offerings. 

The population has recently been computed 



248 LITE m JERUSALEM. 

at seventeen thousand ; five thousand Mohamme- 
dans ; two thousand five hundred eastern, and a 
thousand western Christians, and about eight 
thousand Jews. The general mode of living 
partakes of the poor and simple character of the 
East ; the Europeans only, after the example of 
the English, preserve their home life, with all 
the articles of luxury it requires. They have 
lately established three hotels, in which good 
accommodation is offered at a moderate price. 
During the absence of Mr. Nicolayson, we spent 
the last week of our stay in the excellent inn of 
a German Jew, near the Damascus gate. The 
Europeans always continue to wear their former 
dress, but the German Jews are generally at- 
tired by their orthodox countrymen, soon after 
their arrival, in the Eastern robe. All kinds of 
commerce stand at the lowest point. The bazaars 
are much inferior to those of other large towns 
in Syria, and only furnish the few necessaries 
required by the inhabitants and the Bedouins, 
while the markets are supplied by the farmers 
of the neighbouring places. There are hardly 
any manufactories except for silk, workmanship 
is known only in its simplest form, and Euro- 
pean articles do not find an easy sale among the 
Arabs. At the Eastern festival the market was 
enlivened by pilgrims ; but their purchases 
chiefly consisted of the souvenirs prepared by 
the Christians from olive wood, mother of pearl, 
and the black stone found by the Dead Sea. 
All this arises from the indolence of the Arabs, 
who only car for the passing moment, and 
never think of^loing any thing for the future. 
The Government exercises no salutary influence, 



LIFE IN JERUSALEM. 



U9 



as each Pasha only seeks his own advantage 
during the probably short time of his adminis- 
tration, and therefore is not likely to exert 
himself for the good of the country. 

Fear and anxiety fill the inhabitants, for the 
power of the Turkish Pasha is very inconsider- 
able, of which we were convinced by a striking 
instance that occurred during our sojourn. The 
notorious Sheikh Abu Gosch, who is at the 
head of a large party in the country, had mur- 
dered a governor placed by the Porte, and the 
Pasha of Jerusalem sent for a reinforcement 
from Beyrout as a protection against him. The 
troops reached Jaffa, but did not venture to pro- 
ceed through the residence of Abu Gosch, until 
the Sheikh, against whom they were ordered, 
sent them a convoy. The Turkish military 
afterwards entered Jerusalem with drums and 
fifes. (t There is no king in Israel ; every man 
does that which is right in his own eyes."* 
There are, therefore, daily reports of insurrec- 
tions among the chiefs, or inroads of the 
Bedouins. Nothing remains for the inhabitants, 
and for travellers, but to affect, or to buy, a 
good understanding with the Bedouins. 

It is impossible to mistake the curse resting 
on the town. But, nevertheless, it is still, 
" set in the midst of the nations." f Lying be- 
tween Europe and Africa upon the boundaries 
of Asia, it forms the central point of the world's 
history. All the great movements among the 
nations, from the expedition of the Egyptian 
Pharaohs to Napoleon, have been directed to- 



* Judges xxi. 25. f Ezekiel v. 5. 



250 



LIFE IN JERUSALEM. 



wards the Holy City. And now, the gaze of 
all the world is again turned towards this small 
and unimportant point. Pilgrims stream to it 
from east and west, and the number of travellers 
annually increases. All the principal churches 
of the world have their places of worship and 
their services here. The great Powers emu- 
lously send their Consuls with outward State, 
to a little town distant from the sea, and with- 
out trade or traffic. The mightiest rulers seek 
to excel each other in their presents to Jeru- 
salem. Prussia's king has made a mighty be- 
ginning ; England continues to found extensive 
institutions ; France presents itself as the pro- 
tector of the Romish Church, and a portrait of 
its king, as large as life, decorates the church of 
the Sepulchre ; Austria adorns the clergy with 
gold embroidered garments, and Russia's Em- 
peror, by sending treasures of gold and silver, 
seeks to outdo the other powers. Half of the 
inhabitants of Jerusalem again consists of Jews, 
and an elected band of Israel's sons tarries in 
their midst. Should we not recognise in this 
sign of the times, the fulfilment of the promise, 
" The Lord shall turn again to Zion and dwell 
in Jerusalem ; the sons of strangers shall build 
up thy walls, and their kings shall minister unto 
thee. Whereas thou hast been forsaken and 
hated so that no man went through thee, I will 
make thee an eternal excellency, a joy of many 
generations." * Is it not a sign that " the Lord 
buildeth Zion, and appeareth in his glory." f 
Shall we believe with the majority of our 



* Isaiah xl. 10, 14, 



15.f Psalm, cii. 16. 



LIFE IN JERUSALEM. 



251 



christian brethren that all the curses pronounced 
upon Jerusalem have come to pass, but the 
many promised blessings will not be fulfilled ? 
Dare we presume that the people of Israel will 
be preserved and converted to the God of their 
fathers, that all curse will pass away before 
abundant blessing, but that the town, which was 
accursed for the people's sake, will remain 
under the curse ? Can we venture to say that 
the glorious predictions respecting Jerusalem's 
future glory are to be understood only spiritually 
of the glory of the church, the spiritual Zion ? 
Shall we exclude the city from the coming 
kingdom of Christ, since we cannot expel the 
people ? And even if we turn away from the 
promises of the old Testament, shall we over- 
look the intimations of Christ when he said, 
" J erusalem shall be trodden down of the Gen- 
tiles, until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled."* 
Did not the disciple of the Revelation probably 
refer to Jerusalem when he said, that the wit- 
ness of the Lamb would live and reign with 
Christ a thousand years ? Does he not signify 
that the glorious promises made to the most 
holy city of the world will then be fulfilled in 
most plenteous measure ? We do not venture 
to decide where God's word allows us only to 
conjecture. But where so much is promised we 
do not presume to diminish from the future 
prospects of Jerusalem. 

On the holy evening before Whitsuntide we 
ascended the hill on the north-west of the town. 
The hosts of pilgrims had vanished, and still- 



* Luke xxi. 24. 



252 



LIFE IN" JERUSALEM. 



ness reigned in Zion. The heaven was covered 
with clouds, and a sultry south wind blew to- 
wards us an oppressive heat. The mountains 
of Moab stood out gloomily, and the hills around 
were barren. But the summit of Mount Olivet 
shone verdantly, and the repose that reigned in 
town allowed us to feel something of the out- 
pouring of the spirit from him who will once 
come again as he has gone up into heaven. A 
believing son of Israel wandered alone on the 
declivity of Mount Zion. The prophecy will 
yet be fulfilled, " though it tarry wait for it, 
because it will surely come." * 



* Hab. ii. 3. 



PART V, 

THE PROMISED LAND. 



CHAPTER I. 

BETHLEHEM, 

Let us turn from the Holy City to the 
Holy Land. The first excursion we made from 
Jerusalem was on Easter Tuesday, to the so- 
called Emmaus. Our party consisted of Bishop 
Alexander, with the greater part of his family, 
Messrs. Veitch andNicolayson, and two English- 
men, and we rode up the street towards Jaffa. 

The way led through cheerful valleys and 
over pleasant hills, which soon displayed the 
peculiar character of the country. Its natural 
formation distinctly shows that it was destined 
for a people who should be distinguished by the 
plain and manifest guidance of God. If fruit- 
fulness was secured to Egypt by the regular 
return of the Nile inundations, this land " hath 
hills and valleys, and drinketh water of the 
rain of heaven." And the Lord added : " If 
ye shall hearken diligently unto my command- 
ments, I will give you the rain of your land in 
his due season, the first rain and the latter rain, 
that thou may est gather in thy corn, and thy 



254 



BETHLEHEM. 



wine, and thine oil. Take heed to yourselves, 
that your heart be not deceived, and ye turn 
aside, and serve other gods and worship them ; 
and then the Lord's wrath be kindled against 
you, and he shut up the heaven that there be 
no rain, and that the land yield not her fruit. 55 * 
The feeling of dependence upon God was thus 
preserved, while at the same time the rain was 
utterly useless without the exertions of the 
people. The land is very hilly, and the moun- 
tains are composed of limestone, upon which is 
a stratum of fruitful soil. Unless this earth is 
supported by stone terraces, it cannot resist the 
force of the violent showers of rain ; and, there- 
fore, on all the declivities of the mountains, 
terraces are visible, often rising in series of 
sixty or seventy feet above each other, and 
serving for fields, gardens, or plantations. But 
should labourers or perseverance be wanting to 
keep them up, the earth is carried down by the 
torrents of rain, and the mountains and hills 
rise bare and barren from the valleys. Thus an 
explanation is offered of the wonderful fruitful- 
ness of the country at the time of Solomon, and 
even of the Romans, and of its sterility in our 
own days, while we are permitted to expect the 
fulfilment of the prophecy: "But ye, O 
mountains of Israel, ye shall shoot forth your 
branches, and yield your fruit to my people of 
Israel. 55 f Whenever the terraces are taken care 
of, the land exhibits the most luxuriant fruitful- 
ness. 

On the road to JaiFa, we certainly saw many 



* Dent. xi. 13. 17, 



t Ezek. xxxvi. 8. 



BETHLEHEM. 



255 



mountain sides lying waste, exhibiting traces of 
former terraces only here and there ; but others 
displayed cheerful fields, vineyards, and oliye 
trees. After about an hour, we saw the vil- 
lage of Kulonieh, picturesquely situated in a 
narrow valley, with fruit trees in the freshest 
bloom. In another hour we arrived at Kirjat- 
el-Enab, which is shown as the ancient Emmaus. 
The ruins of a beautiful church recal christian 
inhabitants to the mind ; and there is a convent 
upon the steep projection of a neighbouring 
mountain, connected with the church by a sub- 
terranean passage. We had a lovely prospect 
from it of the mountains of Judah, towering 
above one another in soft rotundities, or sharp 
peaks, or steep rocks, adorned like a garden of 
God, with the beautiful ornaments of spring. 
The place itself is the residence of the notorious 
Sheikh Abu Gosch. How different was it 
when the disciples, with burning hearts, con- 
strained the Lord to tarry with them here I 
Returning towards Kulonieh, we entered the 
valleys about noon. The surrounding moun- 
tains were covered with the richest olive planta- 
tions ; and the largest of the valleys is supposed 
to be Elah, in which David slew the giant Goliah. 
The bed of the brook contained many smooth 
stones, with one of which, the boy David, a 
hero of faith, overcame the Philistine. We 
soon reached the lovely village Ain Karim, 
leading up to the well-built hills. It contains 
a Latin convent, in the beautiful church of 
which, in-laid with marble, is a grotto magni- 
ficently adorned with marble, gold, and silk, 
and shewn as the birth-place of John the Bap- 



256 



BETHLEHEM. 



tist. Mounting some elevations, we entered a 
still, peaceful valley, and arrived at the Greek 
convent, Deirel-Musullabeh, the convent of 
the Holy Cross. The valley gently declines 
from north to south, where it is bounded by a 
high mountain summit ; it is covered with beau- 
tiful fields and fruit trees, and in the middle is 
the pleasant convent. The church is richly 
adorned with marble and paintings ; under the 
altar, in the holiest of all, the tree from which 
the cross of Christ was made, is said to have 
stood. It is one of the loveliest places in the 
neighbourhood of Jerusalem. We had only to 
ascend a trifling elevation, and the city lay be- 
fore us ; we returned to it between the simple 
monuments of the Turkish burial-place, by the 
Upper Pool. 

Another day, we rode to the valley El Werd, 
in company with Messrs. Nicolayson and Veitch. 
Roman mile-stones, old pavement, and cisterns, 
indicated the road to have been the former 
Roman street leading to Gaza. On the left 
was a flowing spring, Ain Galloy ; old fragments 
of pillars betokened earlier buildings; while in the 
neighbourhood, were roses in great abundance, 
and luxuriant bloom. A little lower down in 
the valleys flows a still more abundant spring 
called the fountain of Philip, because the trea- 
surer of Queen Candace is said to have been 
baptized there by the apostle. If the spot ap- 
pears rather near the town, we must consider that 
the sermon may have produced its effect in a 
short space of time. At a turning of the valley 
towards the north, a second valley runs into it 
from the south ; at the junction of the two, on 



BETHLEHEM. 



257 



the declivity of the mountain, is the great village 
of Bitter. On the summit are the ruins of an 
old town with many large cisterns and graves ; 
it must once have been an important fortress 
protecting the road to Gaza, and is, perhaps, the 
place where Barcochba, the son of the stars, 
was confined. .Returning past the fountain of 
Philip, we entered the luxuriant valley Achmed, 
and leaving Beit Jala on the right, a village 
almost entirely inhabited by Christians, we soon 
reached Bethlehem. 

Naomi, who, as a lonely widow returned with 
her daughter-in-law from the Moabites' land, 
was of the town of Bethlehem. When the bar- 
ley harvest began, Ruth went into the fields to 
glean the ears, and found favour in the eyes of 
Boaz. He took her to wife, and her grandson 
was Jesse, David's father. Upon the neigh- 
bouring mountains David kept his father's sheep ; 
he was the least among his brethren, u ruddy, 
and fair of eyes, and goodly to look upon."* 
Samuel, the prophet of the Lord, came to Beth- 
lehem, took his horn of oil, and anointed him 
king of Israel ; and yet, nearly five hundred years 
after, it is said in regard to the former fame of 
Bethlehem: a And thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, 
though thou be little among the thousands of 
Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto 
me that is to be ruler in Israel."! After sixteen 
hundred years, in Bethlehem, David's city, the 
greatest wonder of the world appeared, God, 
born of God, the Eternal Son of the Eternal 
Eather became man for us. He, whom the 

* 1 Sam. xvL f Micah. v. 2. 

s 



258 



BETHLEHEM. 



whole universe could not contain, there lay in 
Mary's bosom. 

It still seems as though the glory of the only 
begotten of the father illuminated the quiet 
town. It rises upon two hills, and on the east- 
ern elevation a convent, like a stately citadel, 
stands upon the spot where the Lord was born. 
The halls of the three convents, in the possession 
of the Greeks, Armenians, and Latins, are close 
to the beautiful church, which is one of the 
oldest in the Promised Land. It is built in the 
form of a cross ; the nave, which rests upon 
eight-and-forty pillars of white marble, now 
serves as an anti-hall, but is not employed, and 
is divided by a wall from the upper part of the 
cross. This contains the high altar, and a side 
altar for the Armenians. The walls are decorated 
with coloured mosaics upon a gold ground ; 
Thomas laying his hand in the side of the 
Saviour, or the disciples looking after their 
Master as he ascended into heaven. On each 
side of the holy of holies a staircase leads down 
into the grotto under the high altar. It is 
thirty-seven feet long, twelve wide, and nine 
feet high. Immediately under the altar, on the 
eastern wall, is a niche inlaid with marble, 
marking the place of the nativity. The inscrip- 
tioii, surrounded by a silver halo, simply records 
the miracle connected with the spot ; the arching 
above it is ornamented with ancient gold mosaic, 
probably of the time of Constantine, under 
which the natural rock is visible here and there. 
A few paces to the left is a second niche, with 
the manger hewn in the rock, in which Mary 
placed the child ; it is also inlaid with marble. 



BETHLEHEM. 



259 



The grotto is adorned with red silk with golden 
rays, and gold and silver lamps are kept burning 
by Greeks, Armenians, and Latins. Christians 
from different parts of the earth assembled with 
us in the still grotto, and knelt down in prayer. 
No sound of unrest, no profanating tone was 
heard : the quiet devotion of pious pilgrims 
alone surrounded us. We saw in spirit the 
shepherds hastening from the field — finding the 
child in the manger — and praising God for all 
that they had heard and seen ; we beheld the 
wise men of the east, who had followed his star, 
worshipping the child, and opening to him 
their gifts — gold, and frankincense, and myrrh. 
How many millions from the east and west 
have followed them, and have offered their 
best — even themselves ! How from this still, 
dark grotto, has the light shone forth to lighten 
the Gentiles, to the glory of the people of 
Israel ; and behold the nations walk in the 
light, and kings in the glory that rose upon 
them ! 

We can well understand that the pious 
empress Helena, on her pilgrimage to Jeru- 
salem, caused a church to be built over the grotto. 
At the end of it, opposite the place of the 
nativity, a subterranean passage, hewn out of 
the rock, and marking the commencement of 
the possessions of the Latins, leads into another 
grotto-chapel. Hieronymus, the great ecclesi- 
astical father of the west, worked here ; and, 
close to his Saviour's birth-place, completed 
that translation of the Scriptures into the Latin 
language, which is now the only authorised 
version of the Romish Church, and which is 

s 2 



260 



BETHLEHEM. 



even preferred to the Bible in the original 
tongue. His grave is close to it. A stair- 
case leads up to the chapel of the Latins, from 
which we ascended to the great terrace of the 
convent. At about ten minutes distance from 
the town, to the south-west, appeared the 
meadows, in which the shepherds watched their 
flocks during that wonderful night. It is a 
valley situated amid pleasant pastures and 
fields, shaded by stately terebiuths, and sur- 
rounded by white chalk hills. We seemed to 
hear again the angel-message : " Behold, I 
bring you good tidings of great joy which shall 
be to all people. For unto you is born this 
day in the city of David, a Saviour, which is 
Christ the Lord." 

Bethlehem is a little town, containing about 
three thousand souls. On account of a tumult, 
Ibrahim Pasha destroyed the Mohammedan 
quarter, and drove out the inhabitants ; so that, 
unlike any other place in the Promised Land, 
Bethlehem is now the residence of Christians 
only. May it once more denote the beginning 
of a blessed era ! The town crowns both points 
of the mountain, with the ridges lying between 
them ; the rock is easily pierced, and contains, 
like the limestone hills, and all the mountains 
of ludah, numerous hollows. These holes are 
frequently used as habitations, or dwellings are 
constructed close to them, and they are still 
oftener employed for stables. It is not remark- 
able, therefore, that in the gospel account of 
the birth of Christ, mention should be made of 
the stable and manger, and not of the grotto. 
Besides, Justin the Martyr, even in the second 



BETHLEHEM. 



261 



century, notices the birth of Christ in a grotto. 
The inhabitants have industriously planted the 
environs of Beth-Lehem (i. e. bread-house,) 
with olive and fig trees, vineyards, and rich 
fields ; they also employ themselves in the pre- 
paration of rosaries, Madonnas, crucifixes, and 
holy pictures from olive wood, or mother-of- 
pearl ; the town possesses a prosperity, which, 
regarded in connection with that night of won- 
der, filled us with joy. 

On the left of the road to J erusalem, covered 
by a little mosque, is the grave of Rachel, who 
died at the birth of Benjamin, and Jacob u set 
a pillar upon her grave. "* When Herod com- 
manded the slaughter of the little children of 
Bethlehem, " Rachel wept for her children, and 
would not be comforted because they were not." 
The convent of Elijah adorns the summit of a 
mountain between Bethlehem and Jerusalem ; 
before the door is a large tree, under which 
Elijah is said to have rested before his departure 
for Sinai. The convent contains a church, with 
a cupola, standing upon four pillars ; it is 
adorned with several representations from the 
life of Elijah. The falling building is inhabited 
by one priest, with his family, and a deacon, 
From this point the road descends to the exten- 
sive and fruitful plain Rephaim, and Jerusalem 
is situated about three quarters of a league 
farther. 



* Gen. xxxv. 20. 



CHAPTER II. 



HEBRON. 

We had been able to take but a hasty glance 
at Hebron on our first visit, and therefore 
decided, in company with two English friends, 
on making another excursion to the place. 

We chose the same road we had taken some 
weeks previously, and, leaving the plain of 
Rephaim, with Rachel's grave, and passing 
Bethlehem on the west, we arrived at the Pools 
of Solomon. They consist of three large basins, 
which, like the Gihon pools, are surrounded by 
walls of huge stones. They were chiefly sup- 
plied by a neighbouring well, whose waters 
were confined in two large chambers, resting 
upon old stone arches, and then conveyed, by 
means of a subterranean passage, into the first 
pool, and afterwards into the aqueduct, which 
extends from the northern side of the three 
pools to Bethlehem, and continues, in a ruined 
form, to Jerusalem. It was probably constructed 
by Titus, who employed the temple treasures 
for the purpose. When water is abundant the 
pools are full ; but in the season of scarcity the 
aqueduct is supplied by a canal, in the declivity 
of the valley, from the lowest pool ; and this 
again from both the upper sources. There are 
besides these, several other supplies, furnished 
by neighbouring wells and mountains. Their 



HEBRON. 



263 



foundation may certainly be dated from the 
time of Solomon. Near the upper pool is a 
large Saracenic castle, Kulat el Burak, which 
is also completely ruined. 

During the space of a months the road had 
undergone a complete change ; at first bleak and 
barren, its luxuriant vegetation now delighted 
us. We soon perceived a thick cloud in the 
valley, and found that it was a swarm of locusts. 
They surrounded us and our horses like a thick 
shower of snow, the sun's light was obscured, 
and we could scarcely pursue our road ; the 
whole swarm then settled upon the fields and 
shrubs, and on our approaching a valley, they 
started up at the sound of the hoofs, and 
suddenly whizzing about the path before us, 
flew against one another like a swarm of bees. 
Thus Joel says : — " For a nation is come up 
upon my land, strong and without number, 
whose teeth are the teeth of a lion, and he 
hath the cheek-teeth of a great lion. He hath 
laid my vine waste, and barked my fig tree ; 
he hath made it clean bare, and cast it away ; 
the branches thereof are made white. The 
land is as the garden of Eden before them, 
and behind them a desolate wilderness."* They 
are one of the greatest plagues of the country ; 
and afterwards, at Damascus, we had frequent 
opportunities of observing the desolation caused 
by the locusts ; we were also at this time often 
annoyed by smaller swarms. Here and there 
we met with encampments of Bedouins, who 
had sought, with their flocks, the fresh pasture 



* Joel L 6, 7] ii .3, 



264 HEBROK. 

and the fruitful field; and from whom our 
friendly greetings met with a like response. 
We passed by ed-Dirweh, and found the place 
of encampment as lovely as it had before been 
disagreeable to us. The way soon led between 
vine and olive yards. Each garden is fenced 
and walled round, and contains a tower, (" a 
cottage in a vineyard/ 5 *) in which the guards 
remain ; while, at the time of the vintage, it is 
the abode of the master of the garden. The 
grapes and the wine of Hebron are still the 
most renowned in all the Promised Land ; and 
it was here that the twelve spies (and among 
them Joshua and Caleb) " cut down a branch 
with a cluster of grapes, and bare it between 
two upon a staff ; and they brought of the 
pomegranates and of the figs."f About seven 
hours after leaving Jerusalem, we entered the 
incomparable vale of Hebron, and found accom- 
modation at the house of the worthy chief 
Rabbi of the Spanish Jews. His house was 
situated on the declivity of a mountain, and 
the roof commanded a view of the town. It 
lies in a narrow valley, at the foot of both 
the mountains, and is most extended on the 
eastern side, on which the mosque, erected 
over the grave of the patriarch, towers above 
all the other buildings. Above the flat roofs, 
which are all built tolerably high, of freestone, 
domes are raised, giving a picturesque appear- 
ance to the town, and according with the 
formation of the mountains, which ascend in 
small rounded hills. In contrast with the old 



* Isaiah i; 8. f Numb. xiii. 24. 



HEBRON. 



265 



grey appearance of the houses and mountains, 
and the melancholy olive groves, is the fresh 
green of the fields round the town. Though 
one of the oldest places in the world, it is still 
in a state of great prosperity. 

A large mosque covers the " cave that is 
before Mamre ; there they buried Abraham 
with Sarah, his wife ; there they buried Isaac 
and Rebecca, his wife; and Leah. 35 * And when 
Jacob died in Egypt, Joseph went up with 
chariots and horsemen to bury his father in 
the cave. Josephus makes mention of a marble 
monument over this holy resting-place ; a 
church was afterwards erected ; and there is 
now a mosque, regarded by the Mohammedans 
as peculiarly holy, and jealously guarded from 
the entrance of Christians and Jews ; for they 
honour Abraham by the name El Khalil, the 
friend, or beloved of God ; for which reason 
Hebron also is called by the natives El Khalil. 
The only accessible part is the outer wall, 
enclosing a long quadrangle, and formed of 
large stones, certainly of the earliest Jewish 
period. The Jews are, from time to time, per- 
mitted to look into the interior, through a small 
opening in the wall. 

We ascended the neighbouring hill on the 
south-east. Hebron, with its gardens and fields, 
lay at our feet ; at the western elevation of 
the valley, was the magnificent oak of Abraham, 
at Mamre ; on the southern side, our eyes once 
more wandered over the barren steppes of the 
desert, which had long retreated before the 



* Gen. xlix. 30, 31. 



266 



HEBRON. 



loveliness of the Promised Land ; towards the 
north, rose the black mountains of the wilder- 
ness of Judah; and before the steep hills of 
Moab, the waters of the dead sea were distinctly 
visible. It must have been near this place 
that " Abraham gat up early in the morning, 
and looked toward Sodom and Gomorrah, and 
all the land of the plain, and beheld, and lo ! 
the smoke of the country went up as the smoke 
of a furnace."* We descended the mountain 
by the path on which, perhaps, Abraham once 
accompanied the Lord with the two angels ; 
and thought of David, who, as king of Judah, 
lived in this place seven years. At the time 
of the crusades a bishopric of St. Abraham was 
founded here. The town is now the second 
of the Jews' four holy cities, and numbers 
about ten thousand inhabitants. The bazaars 
are excellently supplied with fruity especially 
with raisins of the largest kind. In the valley, 
in the middle of the town, lie two pools ; one 
of which existed in the time of David. f The 
water of these pools is much surpassed in 
purity by that obtained from the neighbouring 
mountain springs. Last of all, we visited the 
two synagogues ; the larger belonging to the 
Spanish, and the smaller to the Polish Jews ; 
the schoolmasters of the latter joined in the 
universal plaintive tune of the Jews in Syria. 
The Spanish Jews appear to be distinguished 
by their opulence and cleanliness. 

We left Hebron about noon, and rode up 
the valley to a beautiful oak, about half a 

* Gen. xix. 27, 8. f 2 Sam. iv. 12. 



HEBRON. 



267 



league from the town. It was one of the 
largest trees we had seen in the Promised Land, 
being four-and-twenty feet in circumference, 
and the diameter of the extension of the boughs 
about ninety feet. In the neighbourhood are 
wells containing good water; the ground was 
covered with green turf, and the valley is 
adorned by rich fields. Some consider this to 
be the grove of Mamre, while others point out 
a ruined wall, formed of enormous blocks of 
freestone, as the place of Abraham's tent. 
Within the quadrangular court is a large cis- 
tern, at which boys were watering their flocks. 
It was in this neighbourhood that Abraham 
built an altar to the Lord, " that he believed 
on the Lord, and it was counted unto him for 
righteousness," that God established his covenant 
with him by circumcision, and that the angel 
of the Lord — the revealer of God in the Old 
Testament — the angel Michael — he who ap- 
peared as the guardian god of Israel, and was 
often called the Lord — it was here, that he in 
whom God manifested himself to mankind 
before he was born as a man — visited Abraham 
— partook of a meal with him, and promised the 
birth of Isaac. At Mamre God spoke with 
Abraham as with his friend. 

We were conducted by an experienced guide 
through several cheerful valleys, over the ruins 
of old towns and villages ; graves and holes 
were visible in the rocks, and woods and shrubs 
adorned the heights, while the valleys were 
clothed with luxuriant verdure. After a gra- 
dual ascent, we suddenly found ourselves upon 
the hill of Tekoa. Widely extended ruins 



268 



HEBRON. 



cover the summit of the mountain ; and among 
them are the ruins of a church with a font, on 
which the marks recalled to mind the order of the 
Templars. A wide prospect was open before 
us. The Dead Sea lay in front, the mountains 
of Moab rose among their awful cliffs, shining 
now with the fiery glow of the departing sun : 
on the south and west, the green meadows and 
pleasant hills of the mountain of Judah extended 
as far as Tekoa, in strong contrast with the 
barren east; while on the north, Bethlehem 
towered upon a green and lovely height. To 
the side lay Mar Elijah, with the wall of the 
Convent garden extending at the foot of the 
mountain ; and in the far distance, were Neby 
Samwil, the watch tower of Mizpeh, and the 
summit of Olivet crowned with its Ascension 
Chapel. Here, in view of the lovely Mount of 
Olives, Amos, from among the herdmen of 
Tekoa, was called to be a prophet ; and all his 
predictions seem to show that the Lord had 
sanctified the deep impression produced upon 
him by Tekoa's scenery as he kept his flocks 
alone. He proclaimed the God " that formeth 
the mountains, that turneth the shadow of death 
into the morning, and maketh the day dark 
with night ; that calleth for the waters of the 
sea, and poureth them out upon the face of the 
earth." * God, as the judge, appeared to him 
as a lion going out upon his prey. " The 
Lord will roar from Zion, and utter his voice 
from Jerusalem, and the habitations of the 
shepherds shall mourn."f Looking, on the Red 



* Amos iv. 13 ; v. 8. t lb. i. 2. 



HEBRON. 



269 



Sea, lie prophesied fire upon the enemies of 
God ;* and the sight of the wilderness impelled 
him to exclaim, " Behold the days come that I 
will send a famine in the land, not a famine of 
bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the 
words of the Lord."f But from Bethlehem's 
hills arose the confidence : " I will raise up the 
tabernacle of David that is fallen, and close up 
the breaches thereof ; and I will raise up his 
ruins, and I will build it as in the days of old." 
Judah's blooming hills awake the prediction, 
" The mountains shall drop sweet wine, and 
all the hills shall melt."J To this beautiful home 
of Amos, monks early repaired for solitude in 
christian times, and a church was built which 
became the resort of many pilgrims, but its 
ruins are all that now remain. We soon re- 
turned to Bethlehem, situate two leagues dis- 
tant, and again found accommodation in that 
beautiful spot. The next morning, we visited 
the Frank Mountain, situated in the midst of 
the wilderness not far from Tekoa. It rises 
among many terraces, like a volcanic blunted 
cone, about eight hundred feet in circumference 
at the top. It forms with the ruined walls a 
circular fortress, surrounded by four round 
towers. It is the ancient Herodium, a fortress 
of Herod the Great, containing royal apartments, 
and encompassed with palaces and buildings at 
the foot of the mountain. His body was brought 
to this place, after his decease at Jericho. It was 
the mausoleum of the building-loving king ; and 
though similar to the monument of Augustus 

* Amos i. 5, 9, 10, 12. f lb- viii. 11. 

^ X lb. ix. 11, 13. 



270 



HEBRON. 



at Rome, far surpassed it in magnitude, in the 
same manner that his temple at J erusalem was 
unequalled by any other. 

At the south-east of the Frank mountain, the 
valleys form picturesque ravines, shut up by cliffs 
containing innumerable hollows. We particu- 
larly searched for one which had been men- 
tioned as the largest, and had never been yet 
completely explored. After looking long, we 
at last discovered it, and were obliged to climb 
up the cliffs to the narrow entrance. Conve- 
nient passages led from the ante-chamber to a 
large hall about sixty paces long and half the 
width, resting upon arches like a Gothic church, 
and supported by pillars, as though hewn out of 
the rock. Passages led from this apartment in 
all directions ; one of them, very narrow at the 
entrance afterwards increased in width, and 
with great difficulty my companion managed to 
explore it. The traces of later visitors soon 
ceased, the remains of Roman urns became more 
abundant, numerous chambers succeeded, and 
at last, after a good hour's continuous walking or 
creeping, the end of the labyrinth was reached, 
terminating, according to the tradition of the 
people, at Hebron. These caves served from 
the earliest times as a refuge for all who were 
in any^kind of distress or difficulty ; and it was 
to such a place that David retired with the men 
who were with him when he was pursued by 
Saul. It was also to a similar retreat that " Saul 
went, and David and his men remained in the 
sides of the cave, and David arose, and cut off 
the skirt of Saul's robe."* 

* 1 Samuel xxiv. 



HEBRON, 



271 



We returned to Jerusalem by way of Beth- 
lehem, and entered it shortly before the closing 
of the gates. 



CHAPTER III. 



JORDAN AND THE DEAD SEA. 



On Monday after the Palm Sunday of the 
Greek Church, the eastern Christians made a 
pilgrimage, under military escort, to the river 
Jordan, to the place where Christ was baptized 
by John. Like most of the strangers, we 
resolved to avail ourselves of this opportunity 
of visiting a neighbourhood, which is at other 
times unsafe ; and rode through the Jaffa Gate 
at about six o'clock in the morning. Arriving 
at the valley of Jehoshaphat, we found the 
mountain sides covered with spectators, among 
whom the white garments of the women pre- 
sented a very picturesque appearance. The 
pilgrim throng proceeded from the gate of 
Stephen, over the brook Kidron,by Gethsemane, 
to the southern slope of Mount Olivet, the 
people of different nations, and of various 
costumes, pressing past one another on horses, 
camels, asses, or on foot. Here was a black 
Abyssinian, with his simple blue dress ; there 
a Greek woman, hanging in a large basket on 



£7£ JORDAN AND THE DEAD SEA. 

one side of the camel, while on the other, her 
four lovely children gazed wonderingly upon 
the multitude ; other women were seen riding 
on their animals, the children holding on before 
and behind, while the husband carefully held 
the reins. There was a Latin Monk in his 
cowl and yellow straw hat; and at the side 
were German workmen in worn-out clothing, 
but with joyous faces and glad songs. We 
hastened by the motley crowd up the Mount of 
Olives, but suddenly a wild cry was heard : it 
was a procession of Mohammedans returning 
from a pilgrimage to the pretended grave of 
Moses ; which, according to the dream of a 
Mussulman-saint, they suppose to be not far 
from Jericho, on the Dead Sea. Standard- 
bearers danced in front ; then came half-naked 
Derwishes, fanatically piercing their bodies with 
pointed iron, which caused the blood to flow ; 
after them the monotonous music of the drum 
and pipe, while the train was closed by the 
faithful of Islam, with cries and shouts of 
triumph. They took a different road to the 
valley of Hinnom, and we reached the head 
of the caravan at the first resting-place, where 
the valley narrows to a small ravine. Here 
the procession was arranged : the Turkish 
military, w T ith drums and fifes, marched in 
front, while at the side, and on the heights of 
the surrounding mountain, were troops of 
Bedouins, on horseback, who furnished the 
escort of honour to the Governor of J affa, the 
leader of the procession. We found ourselves 
among the barren mountains of the desert, and 
gradually descended toward the east. Traces 



//" 'JmiliK 



JORDAN AND THE DEAD SEA. 275 



of the old Eoman road were visible here and 
there, and remains of watch-towers, or khans, 
were scattered about. The neighbourhood is 
one of the most dangerous in the Holy Land, 
and it often happens that a traveller falls among 
thieves, who, " strip him of his raiment and 
depart, leaving him half dead. 5 '* 

At last, about noon, we perceived the Dead 
Sea, and nearly the whole plain of Jericho. 
The mountains recede from one another, the 
vale of Jordan expanding into the beautiful 
Jordan meadows. On the eastern side they 
fall off abruptly, and are of a ruddy hue ; on 
the west they are of a lighter tint, and decline 
more gradually. The river Jordan, with its 
green banks and oases in the plain, momentarily 
reminded us of the majestic Nile ; the enchant- 
ing shores of which break through the desert 
sands. Descending a steep pass, and leaving 
the ruins of two large citadels, we arrived, at 
one o'clock, at the place where the tents of the 
troops and many of the pilgrims were pitched, 
and here we set up our own. The heat was 
more oppressive than we had found it during 
the whole of our previous journey, and we felt 
that we were encamped on an accursed spot, 
from which the gardens and palace-groves had 
vanished, indicating the pestilential proximity 
of the Dead Sea. We were somewhat relieved, 
however, by a cooling north wind, which blew 
into our tent, and by a little brook, conducted 
from the fountain Ain-es-Sultan, through a 
neighbouring wood. The lassitude was uni- 

* Luke x. 30-35. 

T 



276 JORDAN AND THE DEAD SEA. 



versal, and one pilgrim had already fallen a 
sacrifice to the great exertion. We did not 
venture to leave our tent till evening. 

On a little elevation, not far removed, are 
the ruins of the fortress of Jericho, of the time 
of the middle ages ; and many less considerable 
remains of deserted houses. Only four Bedouin 
tents contained the inhabitants of the " city of 
palm trees ; "f while a few stunted palms testify 
to its departed beauty. A Roman road, in 
tolerable preservation, leads to the fountain 
Ain-es- Sultan ; probably the spring of which 
the men of Jericho complained to Elisha, and 
" he cast salt therein, and the waters were 
healed unto this day."f The stream bubbles 
merrily along, surrounded by shrubs, and by 
the remains of a Roman wall. Upon an 
eminence, close to the fountain, are some ruins 
of the Roman time, which may have belonged 
to the fortress and palaces erected by Herod. 
The tyrant here closed his life ; and shortly 
before his death commanded the assembled 
nobility of the land to be shut up in the arena, 
and to be executed at the moment of his 
decease, that the whole land might be com- 
pelled to mourn at his death ! — a command that 
certainly remained unexecuted. A range of 
ruins covers the northern side of the mountain. 
It is called Kuruntul, or Quarantania, and 
rises five hundred feet above the plain. The 
eastern side is full of caves and grottos, once 
the habitations of hermits. To this place 
Christ was led of the spirit — here he fasted 

* Deut. xxxiv. 3; Judges i. 16. t 2 Kings ii. 19, 22. 



JORDAN AND THE DEAD SEA. 277 

forty days and forty nights, and was tempted 
of the devil. As Adam and Eve fell by 
doubting God's Word, by pride and covetous- 
ness, so Christ was tempted to the sin of covet- 
ousness, when the devil tried to entice him to 
change the stones into bread ; to pride, when 
he endeavoured to lead him to cast himself 
from the pinnacle of the temple ; and to unbelief, 
when he would have induced him to fall down 
and worship him. But the Lord overcame the 
temptation by the words of the Holy Scriptures, 
and angels came and ministered unto him. 
From the summit of the mountain, an exten- 
sive prospect is enjoyed of the whole plain to 
the Dead Sea. The waters of the Jordan 
flow through it in mighty rest, betrayed by 
their green banks, while innumerable springs 
and brooks irrigate the meadows. Diligent 
labourers only are wanting to restore the 
canals, in order to make this now-barren country 
one of the most fruitful districts in the Promised 
Land, to recal the gardens of roses, and the 
balsam trees, and to be able to rest beneath the 
shadow of the palms. 

We wandered through the encampment : the 
different nations had separated their tents from 
one another, and all had resigned themselves 
to rest. Those of the Greeks presented the 
most stately appearance, as the wealthiest por- 
tion of the pilgrims belonged to them : a large 
tent in the middle was devoted to their eccle- 
siastics. The poorest were those of the Copts 
and Armenians, who had only stretched out a 
simple cloth to shield them from the burning 
sun, which, in the cool of the evening, they 

t3 



278 JORDAN AND THE DEAD SEA. 



again removed. At last we found, under a 
tree by the brook, twelve German artificers; 
they had made the whole journey on foot^ 
but, notwithstanding, cheerfully united in a 
German hymn, and seemed to experience little 
exhaustion. Near our tent was that of the 
Governor of J affa ; large torches burnt before 
it, and the monotonous music of kettle-drums 
and fifes accompanied the performances with 
which the Bedouins sought to do honour to 
their noble guest. 

When all was still, we assembled with about 
twenty German Protestants in the tent of the 
Missionary, Kruckeberg, from Hanover, who, 
having pursued a long course of blessed activity 
in Judea, under the auspices of the London 
Missionary Society, had now undertaken a 
journey home for the restoration of his health. 
He had been to us a most welcome companion 
on this pilgrimage. We sang a pilgrim-song 
together, and Kruckeberg then read a portion 
of the 13th of Matthew, and spoke on the 
power of the Divine Word. I thought of 
the walls of Jericho which had once fallen 
close to this spot through the faith of Israel, 
and intreated the Lord that from the day spent 
in the plains of Jericho, every difficulty might 
remind us of the fallen walls — every lamenta- 
tion of the faith of Israel — that, as heroes of 
faith going out from Jericho, we might vic- 
toriously do battle for the incorruptible inherit- 
ance — the heavenly Zion. My companion 
prayed, that, as the fountain of Elisha had 
quenched our bodily thirst, so we might also 
experience the thirst of the soul, and receive 



JORDAN AND THE DEAD SEA. 279 

that living water, after the enjoyment of 
which we should never thirst ; for it should 
be in us a well of water springing up unto 
everlasting life. Kruckeberg ended with a 
prayer, in which he commended us — the pil- 
grims by the waters of Jordan — with the whole 
church of Jesus Christ, to the grace of our 
God; and we then sang our home hymn of 
union. In true communion of heart, we con- 
versed long upon the rich associations connected 
with the spot. We saw in spirit " the blind 
man, who sat by the way side begging ; and 
when he heard that J esus of Nazareth passeth 
by, he cried, saying, Jesus, thou son of David, 
have mercy on me. And Jesus said unto him, 
Receive thy sight, thy faith hath saved thee."* 
We saw Zaccheus in his sycamore tree, when 
he heard the word of the Lord, " Make haste 
and come down; for to-day I must abide at thy 
house."f The Lord had entered into our 
habitation too. 

The drums were sounded at midnight, and 
the first procession of pilgrims proceeded with 
the troops to the Jordan. About one o'clock, 
the greater number of Europeans rode off with 
the Governor of J affa ; while a considerable 
escort of mounted Bedouins closed the train. 
Two large torches were carried before us, 
the music of the Bedouins followed, and then 
came more riders, who displayed their equestrian 
feats : they danced on their horses, fought one 
another, brandished the sabre over their heads, 
pursued each other with large lances, or en- 



* Luke xviii, 35-43. f Luke xix, 50. 



280 JORDAN AND THE DEAD SEA. 

deavoured to exhibit their valour by discharg- 
ing shots. It was a dark nighty and the dust 
raised by the five thousand pilgrims who went 
before us, rendered the torches almost useless. 
By about five o'clock we had completed the 
two leagues' distance to the Jordan. The 
military had stationed themselves along the 
banks ; but when the first rays of the sun gilded 
the mountains of Moab, the troops retreated, 
and the pilgrims plunged into the rushing 
stream. From the upper barren shore is a 
descent of twenty feet to the lower brink, which 
is covered on both sides of the river with 
tamarisks, rushes, and meadows, and glows 
with the richest verdure. Between these beau- 
tiful banks the clear waters flow, their breadth 
being about eighty feet, similar perhaps to 
the stream of the Ruhr. Just before reaching 
this spot the river makes a considerable bend, 
causing the waters to rush past with increased 
violence. 

Here, " over against Jericho," it was that 
Joshua led the people to J ordan ; " and as the 
feet of the priests that bare the ark were dipped 
in the brim of the water," (for Jordan over- 
floweth all his banks all the time of harvest, 
as now just before Easter,) "that the waters 
which .came down from above stood and rose 
up upon a heap, and those that came down 
toward the sea of the plain, even the salt sea 
failed, and were cut off. And all the Israelites 
passed over on dry ground, until all the people 
were passed clean over Jordan."* As the 



* Joshua iii 



JORDAN AND THE DEAD SEA. 281 

waters of the Red Sea had divided for the 
deliverance of the chosen nation from the 
bondage house of Egypt, so Jordan turned 
back that God might lead his own people into 
the Land of Promise. When Elijah, too, went 
with Elisha, before he was carried up into 
heaven with the chariot of fire and horses of 
fire, " he took his mantle and wrapped it 
together, and smote the waters, and they were 
divided, hither and thither, so that they two 
went over on dry ground. And when Elisha, 
returned with the spirit of Elijah, and smote 
the waters with his mantle, they parted hither 
and thither, and Elisha went over."* He 
soon after sent Naaman, the leper, the captain 
of the host of the king of Syria, to Jordan, and 
he dipped himself seven times in it, and was 
clean.f Yet all this was only typical of the 
time when John, in a garment of camel's hair, 
and a leathern girdle about his loins, preached 
repentance at Jordan ; and all the people came, 
and he baptized them with water unto repent- 
ance. Then came Jesus from Galilee to Jordan 
unto John, to be baptized of him ; and John 
saw the spirit descending from heaven like a 
dove, and it abode upon him. And he bare 
record, saying, " Behold the Lamb of God, that 
taketh away the sins of the world."i From this 
period, hosts of believers received baptism from 
the disciples of Christ in the river Jordan. 

The love awakened for the waters of Jordan 
by these holy reminiscences was soon perverted 
to a superstitious faith, in a singular sanctity 

* 2 Kings ii. 6, 14, f 2 Kings v. % Matt, iii. j John f. 



282 JORDAN AND THE DEAD SEA. 

attaching to the river ; and many thousands 
of pilgrims still believe that by bathing in 
Jordan, they will undoubtedly secure their 
regeneration and eternal blessedness. They 
therefore plunged into the stream with holy 
impetuosity ; the men and women being attired 
in white garments, their funeral shrouds. They 
dipped three times, or oftener, repeating prayers, 
and repeatedly making the sign of the cross. 
Many were plunged by others ; the weak were 
led down and held against the furious torrent; 
while others clasped their neighbour's hand 
in order to feel in the holiest hour of their 
existence, the bond of union. Mothers bathed 
their weeping children, considering that they 
were thus performing the highest duty of 
maternal love for time and for eternity. The 
Turks kept order, a service which the pro- 
miscuous assembly of sex, age, and nation 
rendered highly necessary. After the bathing 
was concluded, tin bottles were filled with 
water, which the pilgrims hung about them, and 
carefully carried home ; sticks were cut from 
the willow trees ; and at last, after a full hour, 
the military succeeded in driving away the 
lingerers, and the animated shores of Jordan 
became once more still. 

With several Frank travellers, we took a 
separate escort, and while the pilgrim caravan 
returned to the tents, we directed our steps 
towards the Dead Sea. The road was nearly 
level, and led westward of the Jordan ; its 
surface was covered with a layer of saltpetre, 
into which the feet of the horses sank. All 
around was bare and barren, no trace of 



JORDAN AND THE DEAD SEA. 283 



vegetation was visible, and only the sombre 
mountains on the shore of the sea frowned 
upon us. In about an hour, we stood upon 
the shores of the Dead Sea ; they are formed 
of flints, and rise about eight feet above its 
level. It was the largest piece of water we 
had seen since leaving the Hed Sea ; and, 
accustomed to the barren character of the 
desert, we were at first surprised that the 
vicinity of the lake did not answer our expecta- 
tions ; but we soon examined it more narrowly. 
The mountains rise more abruptly on the east- 
ern shore, to the height of from two to three 
thousand feet, while on the western side they 
are more removed. The still surface of the 
lake extends ten leagues in length, and two 
in breadth, and no wave was visible on it. 
The sea is dead, and exhibits no trace of 
animal or vegetable life ; no fish moves in it ; 
and a bird that approached from Jordan flew 
frightened back. The great stream of Jordan 
discharges itself into the sea ; but except during 
the most violent rain, it never increases its 
extent, for the burning heat of the valley 
causes so great an evaporation of water, that 
the Jordan only serves to supply the waste. 
The sea lies six hundred feet below the ocean, 
and an Egyptian heat is therefore produced, 
which is increased by the high cliffs of naked 
rock attracting the burning rays of the sun. 
The neighbouring mountains principally consist 
of limestone ; at the northern extremity black 
shining stones are often found, which are highly 
inflammable, and emit a resinous odour, many 
of them are sold in Jerusalem to the pilgrims. 



284 JORDAN AND THE DEAD SEA. 



The southern mountain is of rock salt. Sulphur 
and bitumen, or asphalte, and saltpetre are 
found in large pieces on the shore. The water 
is some of the saltest in the world ; it contains 
twenty-five parts of salt in a hundred parts of 
water, and is so impregnated that salt thrown 
into it does not dissolve. The great evaporation 
causes every thing on the shore — every stone, 
and every object floating from the Jordan — to 
be covered with a coating of salt. The water 
is also very heavy ; several of my companions 
bathed in it, and were borne up without the 
necessity of swimming ; in deep parts it was 
even with difficulty that they kept under the 
water. On emerging they were soon covered 
with a white coat of salt. We tasted the water, 
but it was so sulphureous and salt, that we were 
long in getting rid of the unpleasant flavour. 
Here and there were trees, with the so-called 
apples of Sodom, which are similar in appear- 
ance to edible fruit, but, according to the 
accounts of the ancients, dissolve into smoke 
and ashes when plucked. They are a large 
yellow fruit, like oranges, but when cracked 
or pressed, leave only thin filaments in the 
hand. On the western side of the sea, a moun- 
tain extends nearly three leagues ; it consists 
entirely of rock salt, and still bears the name 
of Usdum. 

It was probably on the southern side that 
the four cities, Sodom and Gomorrah, Adama 
and Zebovim were situated, " the plain was 
well watered everywhere, even as the Garden 
of the Lord, like the land of Egypt."* And 
* Gen. xiii. 10. 



JORDAN AND THE DEAD SEA. 285 

even now more streams flow from the eastern 
mountain than are to be found in any one neigh- 
bourhood of the Promised Land. It was, never- 
theless, given up to the earthquake, and the 
eruptions of volcanic nature ; and it still con- 
tains rich mines of asphalte or pitch, (slime-pits.)* 
When the sins of Sodom and Gomorrah had 
become great, God sent his angels to Lot at 
Sodom ; they took him with his wife and 
daughters in order to lead them out to Zoar, 
which may, perhaps, have lain on the south- 
eastern side of the sea. The Lord rained fire 
and brimstone from heaven upon the once 
lovely spot ; flames consumed it from above 
and from beneath, and God destroyed the town. 
The whole neighbourhood — all the inhabitants 
— and everything that grew upon the land, 
were swallowed up ! The sweet waters of 
Jordan flowed into the empty deep, and were 
changed into a sulphureous salt lake. The 
Dead Sea stood as a threatening sign, which 
should have filled the chosen people with God's 
fear as they gazed on it from the height of 
Jerusalem. And though the Dead Sea is not 
mentioned in the New Testament, while the 
mightiest instance of God's love was exhibited 
on the shore of another lake of Jordan, yet did 
the Lord himself proclaim that it would be more 
tolerable for Sodom and Gomorrah than for the 
highly favoured cities on the shores of the lake 
of Gennesareth ; showing at the same time that 
the awful scenery surrounding the Dead sea, 
revealed to all succeeding ages the righteous- 
ness of God. 

* Gen. xiv. 10. 



286 JORDAN AND THE BEAD SEA* 



After a short, but deeply interesting stay, 
we left the shores of the sea, and rode in a 
north-westerly direction to the plain at the 
declivity of the mountain. In the valleys 
running towards the lake, we remarked crusts 
of salt and saltpetre covering the ground, while 
traces of vegetation were visible only here and 
there on the dead earth. We left the ruins 
of Kasr-Hadjla on the right, with the well of 
the same name ; it is Beth-Hagla, and formed 
the boundary between Judah and Benjamin. 
We arrived at our tents by about ten o'clock, 
and found the pilgrims, who were again estab- 
lished, drying their shrouds on the bushes. 
The burning heat of the day allowed us but 
slight refreshment. The call for departure 
was sounded about midnight. The procession 
of pilgrims proceeded along the pass by torch- 
light, while the Bedouins followed with their 
banners and their shrill music, conducting the 
Governor, whose train we joined. The ride 
was enlivened by the wild exhibitions of the 
Bedouins : about sixty crowded about us dis- 
playing their powers of shooting and fencing. 
The Governor rode among them, and often 
smoked a pipe with many ceremonials. Occa- 
sionally, however, he darted in among them, 
with sabre and pistols, either joining the com- 
batants or making peace among them. At last 
we hastened past the caravan, anxious to arrive 
at home. How different a prospect greeted 
us to that which had been presented on the 
morning of the departure! Faint and weary, 
covered with dust, the pilgrims lay upon the 
road languishing with hunger and thirst : 



JORDAN AND THE DEAD SEA. 287 



hundreds pressed together to the springs ; and 
an old Greek woman lay fainting at the foot 
of the hill, unable to proceed. Another strag- 
gler set her off with her staff, with the help 
of which she dragged herself wearily along. 
The declivities on each side of the valley of 
Jehoshaphat were covered with spectators, 
watching with sympathizing sorrow, the return- 
ing pilgrims. At last we reached our beloved 
Zion ; and as we afterwards wandered through 
the streets of Jerusalem, a stillness reigned 
there, such as we had not seen since the arrival 
of the pilgrims. 

Some days after, we undertook a ride to the 
Greek convent, St. Saba, accompanied only 
by our servant and a groom, Mukary. We 
proceeded by Siloah and the fountain of Rogel, 
through the valley of Kidron. The beginning 
of it is adorned with fine gardens and plan- 
tations ; and in the rocks, and southern 
valleys, are numerous graves, considerably 
larger, though not so beautifully cut, as those 
in the valley of Jehoshaphat. The features of 
the desert were soon visible on the heights, 
while gardens and groups of trees combined 
to deck the valleys. In the course of half-an- 
hour we perceived long rows of Bedouin tents, 
which were pitched in the hollows, the hills 
being covered with grazing flocks. The course 
of the valley is a very winding one, and after 
we had pursued it for an hour and half, we 
suddenly arrived at a deep and rocky ravine. 
It runs at the bottom of the declivity of the 
mountain, to the depth of a hundred to two 
hundred feet, and while ascending the path 



288 JORDAN AND THE DEAD SEA. 

that leads near the summit of the mountain, we 
looked into the awful deep below. Numerous 
holes and cavities, once used as cells, appeared 
in the mountain side; and at last, in a wild 
chasm, we perceived the towers of the convent 
of St. Saba. 

A death stillness reigned over the buildings 
and the wild vicinity, only interrupted by the 
clear and far-sounding tones of a bell. The 
buildings rise abruptly on the south-eastern 
side, in a small ravine ; a strong wall, with a 
watch-tower, protects them on each side ,* and 
gardens adorn the terrace-like habitations, but 
the leaves drooped beneath the intense heat 
of the desert. A single stunted palm rose 
from among the rocks, said to have been planted 
by the holy Saba. A monk received us at 
the convent door, and conducted us into the 
strangers' room, which, with the whole convent, 
has been lately re-built. After a refreshment, 
consisting, according to the Greek custom, 
of preserves and coffee, we wandered through 
the convent rooms. The church rests upon 
five colossal pillars, standing close to one 
another. The wall of the Holy of Holies 
glitters with gold, as well as the pulpit and the 
prior's throne ; the walls are covered with 
pictures, and large silver chandeliers (presents 
from the Emperor of Russia) hang in the 
centre. In the open space before the church, 
a chapel contains the grave of St. Saba, covered 
with marble ; he it was who, in the fourth cen- 
tury, assembled hermits in this awful solitude. 
A natural grotto in the rock is used as a church, 
dedicated to St. Nicholas : it contains the skulls 



JORDAN AND THE DEAD SEA. 289 



of the forty thousand martyrs, who are said to 
have been once murdered in this holy neigh- 
bourhood by the Persian king, Chosroe. The 
highest of all the chapels near the towers, is 
that of St. John, of Damascus, whose body 
rests in a grotto. In this oasis, in the desert, 
he wrote his celebrated work upon orthodox 
doctrine ; which still continues the compendium 
of faith for the Greek Church. From the 
tower of the convent, we looked upon the 
Dead Sea, about three leagues distant ; and it 
appeared to us that the sudden absorption of 
the four cities, and the formation of the Dead 
Sea, had also produced the peculiar scenery of 
this spot : the soft hills and declivities being 
cleft by the sudden rush of water, had formed 
these awful chasms. So much the more beau- 
tiful did the quiet convent appear to us with 
its peaceful inhabitants. 

We returned home by the same route towards 
evening, again ascending the Kidron valley. 
Hill after hill towered before us, each higher 
than the former ; until upon the last and highest, 
Jerusalem stood glowing with the brilliant rays 
of the evening sun. The nearer we approached 
the sublime — the high-built city — the more 
did the desert wastes recede from view ; and 
the lovelier were the hills and valleys, with 
their fresh verdure and green trees* The 
Kidron valley, the valley of pain, extending 
six leagues, and rising three thousand feet, 
commences close to the accursed Dead Sea ; 
and consisting, at first, of wild ravines, becomes 
more and more attractive, until it terminates 
near the shining pinnacles of Jerusalem ; and it 



290 



JORDAN AND THE DEAD SEA. 



seemed to us as though, it typified the history 
of God's kingdom, from the fall of man to the 
descent of the New J erusalem ; as if the valley 
of grief were intended to present to the mind 
in striking colours, the history of the children 
of God from their birth in sin, through a life 
full of suffering and of joy, until their entrance 
into the heavenly Zion. Never did Zion 
appear in such splendour before our eyes — • 
never did God's holy mountain, Jerusalem, 
the high-built city, appear so lovely. 



CHAPTER IV. 

BETHEL. 

Let us now turn to a visit paid by us to the 
northern environs of Jerusalem. Accompanied 
by our dragoman and two Mukaries, we. ascended 
the northern mountain opposite Olivet, by 
the valley of Jehoshaphat ; from whence 
the most extensive prospect of Jerusalem is 
obtained. No important part of the town is 
concealed. Moriah and Zion retreat far from 
one another, while the intermediate valley is 
visible in its full extent. The town rises am- 
phitheatrically as far as the mosque of Moriah, 
and the hill of Zion, with its numerous build- 
ings ; the slender minarets and splendid cupolas 
towering majestically above it. But compre- 
hensive as the prospect is, it is destitute of the 



BETHEL. 



291 



loveliness by which the view from Mount 
Olivet is distinguished. In the steep path 
leading down the hill, traces of an old Roman 
road are discernible. In about an hour, we 
reached Anata, or Anathoth, situated on the 
summit of the next mountain. It is a small 
village, with a few poor houses built of large 
blocks of sandstone, which are cut in the neigh- 
bourhood, and are much used in Jerusalem. 
It lies, like Tekoa, almost on the boundaries 
of vegetation. The mountains consist of 
limestone ; and, towering forth from the fruit- 
ful earth, give a dry and barren aspect to the 
whole tract. Here Jeremiah was born;* and 
that which he predicted, while looking with 
prophetic gaze upon the wilderness, he after- 
wards saw fulfilled, when he sat and wept upon 
the ruins of Jerusalem. 

Passing through a deep valley, and over the 
next mountain height to Hizmeh, we entered 
another valley, and arrived at Jeba — the Gibeah 
of Saul ; where were many ruins of old build- 
ings. Saul was born at this place and estab- 
lished his residence here when king.f The 
mountain upon which Gibeah lies declines on 
the eastern side of the town, and then runs 
out in a plain, stretching far to the east. After 
a gentle declivity, is an elevation about half a 
league distant, covered by the ruins of Medinet 
Gai, or Ai. They are of considerable extent, 
and are surrounded with a circular wall ; while 
to the south, the valley of Far ah ; and to the 
north, that of Suveinit, with its steep cliffs, 

* Jer. LI, f 1 Sam. 10, 26 ; xi. 4. 

U 



292 



BETHEL. 



protect the town. Abraham set up his tent 
between Bethel and Ai, and there built an 
altar to the Lord ; and afterwards, when the 
walls of Jericho had fallen down before the 
Israelites without a blow, the men of Ai 
pursued them in their flight. Their conquest 
was incomplete till Achan, who had sinned 
against the Lord, had been stoned and burned 
with fire, and then Joshua entered the val- 
ley of Farah, and placed men in ambush, 
behind the town, who, after Joshua's attack 
and his apparent flight, broke forth and took 
the city.* Thus the militant church of Christ 
experiences many defeats and conquests, like 
those of Israel at Ai. At about twenty minutes' 
distance from Ai is a second hill, with the ruins 
of Medinet Goba, or Geba, which, after the 
partition, was the boundary fortress of Judah ; 
and thus the extent of the land was now 
said to be "from Geba to Beersheba,"f as it 
had formerly been from Dan to Beersheba. 
Here the corn-fields ceased, and the wilderness 
stretched from the ruins of the town to J ordan 
and the Dead Sea. 

We returned upon the mountain ridge to 
Gibeah, and then taking a northerly direction, 
and passing through the valley of Suveinit, 
reached Michmash. It is partly surrounded 
by deep valleys, and is pre-eminently adapted 
for a fortress. Here Saul had a standing 
army. The vision of Isaiah appeared before 
our minds : " At Michmash he hath laid 
up his carriages : They are gone over the pas- 



* 1 Joshua viii. 7. 



t 2 Kings xxiii. 8. 



BETHEL. 



293 



sage: they have taken up their lodging at 
Geba ; Ramah is afraid ; Gibeah of Saul is fled. 
Lift up thy voice, O daughter of Gallim ; cause 
it to be heard unto Laish, O poor Anathoth. 
He shall shake his hand against the mount of 
the daughter of Zion, the hill of Jerusalem. 
Behold the Lord, the Lord of hosts, shall lop 
the bough with terror."* Pursuing the northern 
road, we arrived, in another hour, at Rummon, 
"the rock of Rimmon."f On the summit of 
a conical lime hill, visible by its size from a 
great distance, is a village, with many old 
ruins. About a league farther is Taiyibeh, 
the highest of all the places, which extend like 
a row of frontier fortresses from Anathoth, 
with towers commanding the valleys. The 
village is entirely inhabited by Greek Christians, 
to the number of about four hundred ; and it 
was not long before the Sheikh and the priest 
came and invited us to pass the night in the 
khan. This consists of a large empty stone 
chamber, with a kind of forecourt for the 
Mucaries. The other respectable inhabitants 
of the village gathered round us with their 
children. No Frank had visited them since 
Robinson, and the Missionary who accompanied 
him, and they therefore requested us to give 
them bibles, or psalters, as our predecessors 
had done. The Sheikh brought with him his 
two handsome sons, who seemed particularly 
interested and inquisitive. We at last brought 
the long protracted visit to a close by lying 
down, and the company then gradually took 

* Isaiah x. 28-30, 32, 33. f Judges xx. 45. 

U % 



294 



BETHEL. 



leave. The Sheikh sent us some guards, who 
stretched themselves round the fire with our 
Mucaries, and would have kept us awake with 
their loud conversation, had not the numerous 
smaller inhabitants of the khan prevented us 
from enjoying much repose. Early in the 
morning, we ascended the village hill, upon 
which are the ruins of an old citadel, with 
two large gates, probably existing before the 
Roman era. From the summit of the tower, 
we enjoyed a rich and extensive view over the 
valley of Jordan and the Dead Sea to the 
Frank mountain ; while on the western side, 
rose the green hills of the mountains of Ben- 
jamin. We then examined the unfinished 
church near our khan, and took leave of the 
village, whose inhabitants had given us a rare 
example of modesty and disinterestedness. 

In about an hour and a half, we arrived at 
Beitin, or Bethel. Two valleys run from the 
northern to the southern end of the ravine, 
where they unite and pursue a south-easterly 
direction. Between them, at the declivity of 
the north-eastern hills, lie the extensive ruins 
of Bethel. They run in numerous streets 
from the top of the hill to the valley, and the 
church appears to be constructed within an 
older building. There is also a basin, sur- 
rounded by wells, and only surpassed in mag- 
nitude by that at Jerusalem. Two wells supply 
running water. When Jacob fled from his 
brother Esau from Beersheba to Mesopotamia, 
he came to Bethel and passed the night there. 
In the still valley, the only prospect open to 
him was that towards his southern home, and 



BETHEL. 



295 



sorrowfully must he have gazed upon the land 
of his fathers. Towards the north, the goal 
of his pilgrimage, the view was concealed by 
hills and mountains ; " and he took of the 
stones of that place, and put them for his 
pillow," (perhaps by the clear spring at which • 
we refreshed ourselves) Sf and lay down in that 
place to sleep. And he dreamed, and behold 
a ladder set up on the earth, and the top of it 
reached to heaven ; and behold the angels of 
God ascending and descending on it ; and 
behold the Lord stood above it." The God of 
his fathers revealed to him the glorious issue of 
his journey. The angels of God signified to him 
the way to the goal prepared for him. u Surely 
the Lord is in this place ; this is none other but 
the house of God, and this is the gate of hea- 
ven." This acknowledgment flowed from his lips. 
The stone upon which he had been set free 
from care he set up for a pillar ;* and on his 
return with all his possessions he fulfilled the 
vow, and there built an altar to the Lord, 
calling the place Bethel.f The ark of the 
covenant afterwards stood here ; and Samuel 
paid an annual visit to the spot to judge Israel. J 
On the division of the kingdom, Bethel formed 
the boundary between the kingdoms of Judah 
and Israel ; and here in the south, as at Dan 
in the north, Jeroboam set up a golden calf, 
in order to prevent the people from repairing 
to Jerusalem, the seat of Rehoboam's govern- 
ment. Amos, the herdsman of Tekoa, pro- 
phesied that Bethel, the house of God, should 

* Gen. xxviii. 10, 22. f Gen. xxxv. 7. % 1 Sara. vii. 16. 



296 



BETHEL. 



become, by its sins and the visitations of God's 
righteous judgment, Beth-aven, the house of 
abomination. Josiah at last appeared ; and, as 
had been predicted four hundred years before, 
he pulled down the altars, took the bones out 
of the sepulchres, which we still observed in 
the cliffs, and burned them upon the altar.* 
We find that Bethel was again inhabited after 
the Babylonish captivity ; and it is mentioned 
at the conquest of Vespasian. 

All was still and desolate in the narrow 
ravine; neither man nor beast was to be seen ; 
and we stood awe-struck among the ruins of 
Bethel, which had, indeed, become a Beth-aven. 
We entered the great road which now, as 
formerly, leads from Nabulus or Sichem, to 
Jerusalem, extending among rubbish and blocks 
of stone like the other highways in the Promised 
Land. In the rocks at the side, we remarked 
several wells and holes filled with water, form- 
ing natural cisterns ; and we could well under- 
stand how convenient this well-watered valley 
must have been to Jeroboam for the sojourn of 
the pilgrims, and for the multitude of ablutions 
required in the offering of the sacrifices. Over 
the western elevation, we arrived in half an 
hour, at the hill of Bireh, or Beeroth. Besides 
many old ruins, the village contains a church 
with pointed arches of the time of the crusades. 
From this place we obtained a view of Jeru- 
salem, situated about three leagues distant. 
Ramah, which we had before visited, crowns the 
summit of a conical hill; it is surrounded by 



* 2 Kings xxiii, 15, 20. 



BETHEL. 



297 



numerous ruins, and among them an old Greek 
church, now turned into a mosque. A similar 
conical rock, called Tell-el-Full, lies on the road 
near Jerusalem ; from it a beautiful panoramic 
view is obtained, particularly of Jerusalem 
and the mount of Olives, which is distant 
about a league. We sent our luggage with a 
Mucary by this shorter route, and turned 
towards the west to Ram Allah, a christian 
village, containing nearly a thousand inhabitants. 
We enjoyed, for the first time, a view of the 
wide waters of the Mediterranean Sea, and 
soon descended to a lovely plain, the most at- 
tractive we had seen in the Holy Land. Sur- 
rounded by high mountains, it displayed the 
richest verdure, and was covered with corn- 
fields, vineyards, and fig-trees. In the midst of 
this charming spot, rises a long, low hill, upon 
which is el-Dschib, or Gibeon. The friendly 
Sheikh received us at the entrance of the vil- 
lage, and led us past many ruins on the northern 
side of the hill to the two large subterranean 
water reservoirs. Several graves hewn in the 
rock recalled to our memory the rich history of 
the past. It was the inhabitants of Gibeon, 
who, by sending messengers with old shoes on 
their feet, worn out raiments, and hard mouldy 
bread, deceived Joshua, and the elders of the 
people, so that they made an alliance with them ; 
but after three days they entered the town, and 
made the Gibeonites hewers of wood and 
drawers of water for the house of God. * On 
their account Joshua fought with the five kings ; 



* Joshua ix. 



298 



BETHEL. 



hail fell upon them from heaven, so that they 
fled ; and at Joshua's prayer, " Sun, stand thou 
still upon Gibeon ; and thou, moon, in the valley 
of Ajalon !" The sun and the moon stood still 
until the people were avenged upon their ene- 
mies.* Under David and Solomon the Taber- 
nacle long stood here, with the altar of burnt 
offerings, after David had taken the Ark to 
Jerusalem, f To the " great high place" at 
Gibeon, Solomon repaired, after ascending the 
throne with the whole congregation, and offered a 
thousand burnt-offerings there. The Lord ap- 
peared to him in a dream by night ; and Solomon 
asked neither long life nor riches, nor the souls 
of his enemies, but a wise and obedient heart. J 
Leaving the beautiful hill of Gibeon for the 
charming plain beneath, we then ascended the 
mountain bounding it on the south, on the 
highest elevation of which lies Neby Samvill, or 
Mizpeh, i. e. Watch. In the middle of the village, 
foundation walls of large buildings are distinctly 
discernible ; and there is also a mosque, which 
was formerly a church in the form of the Latin 
cross. A spot is shown here as the grave of 
Samuel, from whence the name Neby Samvill. 
This was Mizpeh, where Israel's tribes once 
assembled before the Lord,§ and here Samuel 
judged the people, and offered burnt offerings. 
And when the princes of the Philistines went 
up against Israel, " Samuel cried unto the 
Lord, and the Lord thundered with a great 
thunder upon the Philistines, and they were 



* Joshua x. 1, 15. t 1 Chron. xvi. 39. 

X 1 Kings iii. 4 3 15. § Judges xx. 1. 



BETHEL. 



299 



smitten before Israel ; and Samuel took a stone, 
and called the name of it Ebenezer, saying: 
" Hitherto hath the Lord helped us."* At 
Mizpeh, Saul was chosen king by lot;t and 
Gedaliah, the governor under the Chaldeans, 
afterwards held his court there. $ 

From the roof of the mosque we looked 
down from the " watch tower," upon the Holy 
Land ; the sacred stations were again before us ; 
the Desert and Dead Sea lay concealed by the 
mountains ; Tell-eh-Full and Ramah rose high 
towards the north, bounded by Simmon, Taiyi- 
beh, Bireh, and Ram- Allah ; the convent of 
John of Ain-Karim reposed among its olive 
groves ; while in the far west appeared the 
wide plain, with Ramlah and Jaffa, and the 
glittering waters of the Mediterranean Sea. 
The crater-formed summit of Frankenberg was 
also visible in front of the gloomy hills of Moab. 
Before the mountains of J udah lay the peaceful 
town of Bethlehem ; the Convent of Elijah 
pointing to Jerusalem with its minarets, and the 
glorious Olivet with its ascension chapel. From 
this most charming and extensive view, the en- 
raptured eye looked down on Gibeon, and its 
luxuriant plain appearing in its full glory, sur- 
rounded by gardens, groves, meadows, and 
fields. We saw the Holy Land in all its 
beauty ; and as Gibeon alone was spared at 
the taking of the land, so the eye of faith re- 
cognised in its beauty a prophetic intimation 
that Jerusalem would once become a royal 
diadem in the hand of the Lord ; that she should 

* 1 Sam. vii. 5, 16. t 1 Sam. x. 17, J Jer. xl. 10. 



300 



JAFFA. 



no more be called forsaken, nor her land deso- 
late, but that the Lord her God should rejoice 
over her, as a bridegroom rejoices over his 
bride. Passing through cheerful valleys, by 
the graves of the judges, we soon reached the 
gates of Jerusalem. 



CHAPTER V. 
J A FFA. 

The festival time of the year and of our life 
closed together. On the Monday after Trinity, 
the nineteenth of May, we set out for J affa ; but 
on account of an outbreak in Nabulus, were 
unable to take the more beautiful route through 
Samaria. We joined a party of several other 
travellers, and were accompanied by friends to 
the next hill, and even as far as Eamla. With 
prayer we separated from the brethren, many of 
whom we hoped again to meet in the Heavenly 
J erusalem. And, sorrowfully leaving the place 
which had become to us a home, we passed 
through the old walls of the Damascus Gate, 
by the and Terebinth, under whose shadow we 
had rested many an evening. We once more 
stopped upon the hill at the north-west of the 
town, by the side of the Mohammedan graves. 
It was the last look upon the hill of Zion. How 
different from the first from the Convent of 
Elijah! "If I forget thee, O Jerusalem, let 
my right hand forget her cunning! Let my 



JAFFA. 



301 



tongue cleave to the roof of my mouth, if I 
prefer not Jerusalem above my chief joy ! " 

Our road was the same we had trodden on 
Easter Tuesday, in company with the late 
bishop Alexander. Again entering the charm- 
ing valley of Kulonieh, and advancing to Kirjat- 
el-Enab, the so-called Emaus, we soon reached 
the narrow valley Aly ; it afterwards widens into 
a large plain, in which three springs offer the 
longed-for refreshment. A large caravan was 
taking its noon-tide rest; the camels lay in a 
circle ; and shepherds were leading their flocks 
towards the spot. On the northern hills we 
saw the ruins of Yalo, or Ajalon, from which 
the valley bearing the same name extends east- 
ward towards Gibeon ; for which reason J oshua 
prayed : " Sun, stand thou still in Gibeon (in 
the east), and thou, moon, in the valley of 
Ajalon (the west)." On the left were the exten- 
sive ruins of Latrun, indicating perhaps the site 
of Modin, the abode of the Maccabees. A 
little further off is Emmaus, or Nicopolis, 
where Judas Maccabseus conquered the Syrians ; 
it is a place of considerable extent in a moun- 
tainous ravine. We gradually descended into 
the plain of Sharon, which reaches to Mount 
Carmel; if its northern extremity be sandy 
and barren, here, at least, it glows with beauty. 
The luxuriant fields, the charming gardens with 
roses and tulips, narcissus and anemonies, 
lilies and stocks, the multitude of flocks feed- 
ing in the pastures beneath the shadow of mag- 
nificent groves, all reminded us of the rapture 
with which Solomon speaks in his song of the 
flowers of Sharon. 



S0& 



JAFFA. 



After ten hours of weary riding, we reached 
Ramla, probably Arimathea, the home of 
J oseph, the pious councillor, who came to Pilate 
on the evening of the crucifixion, and begged 
the body of Jesus. We found accommodation 
in the spacious Latin Convent; but first hastened 
to the lofty minaret, which situated at about 
ten minutes' distance from the town, belongs 
to a ruined mosque. The town rises upon an 
elevation in the plain ; and on one of its highest 
points is the mosque, with a quadrangular court, 
surrounded by pillared passages. In the middle 
of the northern wall is the minaret, which rises 
to the height of a hundred feet, and the gallery 
of which affords a charming prospect. A fruitful 
and well-built valley, beautified by the lively 
colours of its numerous fields, extends in front 
of the dark mountains of Judah ; while towards 
the north, the waves of the Mediterranean Sea 
indicate the victorious course of the doctrine of 
the cross, To the north and south, a succession 
of villages rise, with their white houses and green 
woods, from amongst pleasant gardens ; and im- 
mediately beneath us, Ramla reposed in the 
midst of gardens, while an olive grove extended 
as far as Lydda, which, indicated by its minaret, 
emerged from the still ravine. We afterwards 
gazed on the same prospect by moonlight, from 
the great terrace of the Convent, where, lying 
under leafy bowers, and refreshed by the frag- 
rance of orange trees, we found a delightful 
retreat from the sultry heat of the day. 

On the following morning, we rode through 
an unbroken succession of gardens to Ludd, the 
Lod of the Old and Lydda of the New Testa- 



JAFFA. 



303 



ment. " There Peter found a certain man 
named Eneas, which had kept his bed eight 
years, and was sick of the palsy. And Peter 
said unto him, " Eneas, Jesus Christ maketh 
thee whole ; arise, and make thy bed ; and he 
arose immediately.' 5 * The ruins of a fine 
church of the time of the crusades, still stand 
in the cheerful village. The way proceeds 
through fruitful fields and groves to the Beit- 
Dagon, or Beth-dagon, f which reminded us of 
the idol Dagon, in whose temple, at Ashdod, the 
Philistines placed the Ark of God. Numerous 
villages lie like islands upon small elevations, 
surrounded by gardens and cactus plantations. 
At last appeared Jaffa, " the beautiful." Half 
a league from the town is a well of delicious 
water ; and from this spot the road winds nar- 
rowly between olive, fig, and orange gardens, 
filling the air with their fragrant odour. In 
three hours we entered the gate of the city, and 
found accommodation at the house of an 
Armenian, named Murad, the consular agent for 
Prussia and North America. A fine upper 
room was appropriated to us, commanding a 
magnificent prospect of the rushing sea beneath. 

Jaffa contains about six thousand inhabitants, 
who carry on an important trade with Egypt. 
It stands under the protection of the powerful 
Mutsellim, who conducted the pilgrim caravan 
to the Dead Sea ; and under his care the 
country people are able, throughout the whole 
plain, to carry on their field-work unarmed ; a 
thing impracticable in every other part of Syria. 



* Acts. ix. 32-35. f Joshua xv. 41. 



804 



JAFFA. 



The principal gate through which we entered 
contains the beautiful well, Mahmudijeh, sur- 
rounded in the moorish style with walls of varie- 
gated marble ; there is also a marble bench for 
the smokers, who sit under a roof of straw mats 
beneath the gate, and observe the passers-by. 
The consideration of the extensive traffic, and 
the numerous Jewish families residing in the 
place, induced Bishop Alexander to place a 
proselyte here, from Bavaria, named Hanauer, 
who, as the agent of the mission, distributes 
Bibles, and seeks to work among the Jews. He 
has his warehouse among the merchants' stores, 
and his activity has already been greatly blessed. 
We walked with him, and the friendly brother 
of our host, in the beautiful gardens, particularly 
in one filled with orange, citron, apricot, and 
pomegranate trees. We lay down under an 
orange tree close to a row of stately palms, and 
apricots and oranges were gathered fresh for us 
from the trees. About two hundred thousand 
oranges are annually sold from this garden, 
usually at the rate of a thousand for five thalers.* 
In Jerusalem the Jaffa oranges are considered 
the best. 

The town is situated upon a rocky hill rising 
from the ocean ; it is steepest towards the sea, 
and is washed by it on three sides. At the 
building of Solomon's temple, the cedar wood 
from Lebanon was brought here ; and J onah 
came down to Joppa* to take ship for his 
wonderful voyage to Nineveh. Peter, too, came 
here from Lydda, and with the words " Talitha 



* 15s. 



t Jonah i. 3. 



JAFFA. 



305 



arise/' awoke a disciple, full of good works 
and alms-deeds, from the dead. Peter then 
remained with one Simon, a tanner. And at 
the south-western end of the town, the ruins 
of a convent are still shown, said to have been 
built over his house. There, on the sea-shore, 
at the point of union with the west, Peter was 
entranced, and saw the vision which presented 
him with clean and unclean beasts for food; 
to teach him that " God also to the heathen 
had given repentance unto life." 

At Joppa, the plain of Sharon ends, and 
Sephela, the plain of the Philistines, extends 
from the sea to Gaza and the wilderness. It 
is a fruitful territory, gradually ascending to 
the mountain, diversified with hills and valleys, 
and containing many wells. Our wish to visit 
Philistia could not, unfortunately, be fulfilled. 
The next town is Ekron, now called Akir, on 
the northern side of the valley of Ajalon ; then 
follows Ashdod, or Azotus, to which Philip 
was removed after having preached to the 
Chamberlain of Queen Candace.* And not 
far off is Gath, the birth-place of Goliath, the 
giant.f No ruins mark the site of these towns ; 
but Ascalon, where Samson slew thirty of the 
Philistines,:}: is still to be recognised by exten- 
sive ruins of the time of Herod the Great, who 
considerably beautified it. Gaza, or Ghuzzeh, 
is one of the most important towns of Syria, 
and contains sixteen thousand inhabitants. It 
lies about a league from the sea, and is separated 
from it by a chain of sand hills ; the other 

* Acts viii. 40. f 1 Sam, xvii. 4. | Judges xiv. 19, 



306 



JAFFA. 



three sides are surrounded by the most charming 
and fruitful gardens ; and on the north is a 
magnificent olive grove, the largest in the 
Promised Land. Gaza is the first place on the 
shortest road from Egypt to Jerusalem ; and all 
the travellers who sojourn there are enraptured 
with its beauty, after the barren steppes of the 
desert. There are few memorials of antiquity 
to be found. The mosque, alone, was once a 
christian church. Gaza was the theatre of the 
wonderful strength of Samson, who took the 
doors of the gate of the city, and bore them 
up to the top of a hill before Hebron* A village 
on the eastern hill still bears the name Samson. 
The land of the Philistines, with its mountains 
and strong fortresses, is now, as formerly, a 
scourge to Israel, with whom a constant warfare 
was kept up ; and almost all the prophets, 
therefore, predict the divine judgments on the 
five cities of the Philistines. 

We were still more sorry to give up the visit 
to Samaria than to Philistia ; but the outbreak at 
Nabulus was so considerable, that the Pasha of 
Jerusalem himself, with almost all the troops 
under his command, had marched there ; and 
a journey to the place was considered extremely 
dangerous. A delay in departing also appeared 
critical, for in Nabulus, as in Lebanon, a 
change for the worse was expected ; an antici- 
pation, however, that afterwards proved un- 
founded. Meanwhile, we consoled ourselves 
with the reflection, that of all the places in the 
Promised Land, Samaria was that which we 



* Judges xvi. 3. 



JAFFA. 



307 



least cared to visit. With two Englishmen we 
therefore hired a schooner, manned by five 
Greeks, to convey us from Jaffa to Beyrout, 
for a thousand piastres, or seventy thalers, with 
the understanding that time should be afforded 
us to make an excursion to Galilee. While 
waiting for a favourable wind, we were able to 
refresh ourselves among the beautiful scenes 
of Jaffa, after the hot sirocco days in Jerusalem. 
We continued to experience the great hospitality 
of our Murad, while our travelling companions 
lived in the large Latin convent. Near to 
it are the still larger convents of the Greeks 
and Armenians, which receive the hosts of 
pilgrims who land at Jaffa at Easter time. 

On the evening of the twenty-second of May, 
we embarked on board our schooner. It 
appeared very diminutive in comparison with 
the steamboats to which we had been accustomed, 
and we were also much annoyed by the increased 
motion in this small vessel. A favourable wind 
sprung up during the night, and leaving Jaffa, 
with its beautiful garland of green gardens, 
we sailed slowly along the coast. It is formed 
by a regular range of hills; upon the heights of 
which were fruitful fields, and the sites of 
many old and new towns. In the back-ground 
rose the peak of the mountain of Ephraim ; 
recalling to our memory the points which this 
mountain embraces. 

The mountains of Ephraim and of Samaria 
form the continuation of the mountains of 
Judah, which gradually descend towards the 
plain of Galilee. The first important place on 
the journey from Jerusalem is Shiloh, about 

x 



308 



JAFFA. 



four leagues from Bethel. It is situated on a 
pleasant hill, and is separated from the sur- 
rounding mountains by deep valleys. On this 
peaceful Hill of Shiloh, (i. e. rest) Joshua set 
up the tabernacle of the congregation/* at 
which a feast was annually celebrated.f During 
the whole time of the judges, the habitation of 
the Lord was here ; and here, too, Samuel 
attended to the word of his God, at a time 
when the word of the Lord was precious ; and 
when there was no open vision. % But when 
Eli and his sons aroused the anger of the Lord, 
by their evil deeds, he removed his tabernacle 
from thence ; and Shiloh, as a place of the curse, 
henceforth became an example of what the Lord 
did on account of the wickedness of his people. § 
The road continues through wide and fruitful 
valleys to Sichem, now called Nabulus, one of 
the most delightful places in the Promised 
Land. It is about a league in extent, and is 
situated in a narrow valley, stretching from 
west to east, between Ebal on the north, and 
Gerizim on the south. Both the mountains 
rise about eight hundred feet above the valley ; 
and, although they are little built upon, Gerizim, 
nevertheless, exhibits charming ravines, and 
numerous terraces, which bloom like the town 
itself, with gardens, woods, citron and orange 
trees, mulberry plantations, apricot, fig, and 
almond trees, in luxuriant perfection. Here, 
on coming out of Mesopotamia, Abraham built 
the first altar in the land that the Lord had 
shewn him. || 

* Joshua xviii. 1. f Judges xxi. 19, 21. X 1 Sam. iii. 
§ Jer. vii. 12. || Gen. xii. 6. 



JAFFA. 



309 



In the neighbourhood of Salem, which is 
still an inhabited village, Jacob pitched his 
tent on returning from Mesopotamia, after 
having received the name of Israel, at Peniel.* 
At the foot of Gerizim, half a league from the 
town, is Jacob's well.f It is a hundred feet 
deep, and nine feet in diameter, and bears many 
traces of antiquity. Jesus, being weary, sat 
upon it, and held the beautiful conversation 
with the Samaritan. The woman hastened 
into the town, and when the people came and 
saw the Lord, they said unto her : " Now we 
believe, not because of thy saying ; for we have 
heard him ourselves, and know that this is 
indeed the Christ, the Saviour of the world." J 
Close to the well, lie the ruins of a church, 
which testify the christians' remembrance of 
this blessed conversation. The Lord held it 
on this spot ; for, on entering the Holy Land, 
God commanded that six of the tribes should 
stand on the rocky declivity of Ebal, and six 
on the fruitful terrace of Gerizim. The Levites 
were then to pronounce curses upon the 
despisers of God ; while the six tribes on Ebal 
acknowledged the malediction by a solemn 
Amen ! The Levites were afterwards to pro- 
claim the blessings of God, and the six tribes 
upon Gerizim to bless the whole people by 
their Amen.§ It was in Sichem that the ten 
tribes revolted against Rehoboam, and that 
Jeroboam was made king of Israel. Two 
hundred years after, when Shalmaneser, king 

* Gen. xxxiii. 18. f John iv. 5, 6. t lb, iv. 1, 42. 
§ Deut. xxvii., xxviii. 

x 2 



310 



JAFFA. 



of Assyria, carried the ten tribes into captivity, 
he sent and gathered together men from among 
the heathen nations to possess the city of 
Samaria. These feared the Lord as the God 
of the land, but also served other gods, each 
after the name of his own nation.* On the 
return of the Jews from the Babylonian 
captivity, they were not recognised by them 
as members of the nation. They, therefore, 
inserted (in the passage Deut. xxvii. 4.) Gerizim 
instead of Ebal, rejected almost all the Books 
of the Old Testament, excepting those of 
Moses, and built a temple to the Lord on 
mount Gerizim, as the mountain which he had 
chosen for himself. Many apostate Jews went 
over to the Samaritans, and the hatred between 
the two nations constantly increased. Therefore 
the disciples wondered that the Lord spoke with 
a woman of Samaria ; and she said to him herself, 
" How is it that thou, being a J ew, askest 
drink of me, which am a woman of Samaria, 
for the Jews have no dealings with the Samari- 
tans?'^ But the Lord had selected Gerizim, 
the place of the covenant with Israel, to break 
down the wall of division between the Samari- 
tans and Jews ; and, after the new command at 
his ascension, J christian churches were formed, 
through the apostles' preaching in Samaria. § 
The 'celebrated Justin Martyr, too, who, in the 
year 163, sealed his love to Christ with his 
blood in the city of Rome, was a native of 
Sichem, or Neapolis. The Temple of Gerizim 



* Kings xvii. t John iv. 9. X Acts. i. 8. 
§ Acts viii. 25. 



JAFFA. 



311 



was destroyed by one of the descendants of the 
Maccabees; the party of the Samaritans is, 
nevertheless, still in existence, and is considered 
as a sect of the Jews. It appears that it only 
now exists in Sichem, and consists of about one 
hundred and fifty persons, under a priest, who 
zealously observe the Sabbath, celebrate wor- 
ship on Mount Gerizim at Easter, Whitsuntide, 
and the Feasts of the Tabernacles and Atone- 
ment ; and offer seven lambs there at Easter. 
As a religious book, they employ a copy of 
the five books of Moses — the Samaritan 
Pentateuch : and they turn in prayer towards 
Mount Gerizim, as the Jews do towards Jeru- 
salem. 

The charming valley of Sichem is described 
with the highest enthusiasm by travellers ; it 
is rich in wells ; and the fields and gardens, 
with the olive groves in the valley and on the 
declivity of the mountain, can, therefore, pre- 
serve their fresh verdure when other parts of 
the Holy Land languish beneath the consuming 
heat. At the distance of two leagues farther, 
the valley widens at the north-west, to a large 
basin, two leagues in diameter, and shut in by 
high mountains. A low hill rises from the 
eastern chain, and on it lies Sebustieh, or Samaria, 
once distinguished for strength, fruitfulness, 
and beauty, but now only a small village. 
Besides ruins of a large church of the time of 
the crusades, a row of pillars is worthy of 
notice, extending from the village to the 
ruins of a temple, fifty feet wide, and three 
thousand feet long. Sixty of these pillars are 
still standing alone and desolate in the 



312 



JAFFA. 



midst of the ploughed fields ; they are of 
limestone, and are sixteen feet high. Omri, 
king of Israel, built his capital city upon this 
mountains ; and the succeeding kings of Israel, 
until Hoshea, the last of them, had their 
residence here.* Ahab erected a temple to 
Baal at this place, and served him with Jezebel, 
his wife. Samaria was, therefore, visited with 
a great famine ; and Elijah was sent from the 
Lord to Ahab. Elisha afterwards came here 
with the greater number of the prophets ; for 
in the kingdom of Judah there were always 
priests who remained faithful to the Lord. 
Samaria was, at this time, the central point of 
the kingdom that had departed from the house 
of David, and from the Lord himself; and the 
writings of the prophets are, therefore, full of 
threatenings against Samaria and Ephraim, as 
the land was also called, from the largest of 
the ten tribes which were in Samaria. The 
Maccabees destroyed the city, but it was again 
rebuilt. Herod called it Sebasta after the 
emperor Augustus, and erected a magnificent 
temple there : the rows of pillars, making good 
the fulfilment of the prophetic threatenings, 
may also be referred to his time. 

We were unable to visit Shiloh, Sichem, and 
Samaria — those three glorious places of the 
mountain of Ephraim — as our way lay along 
the coast by the plain of Sharon. On the 
second day, we perceived the extensive ruins 
of Kaiserijeh, or Cesarea, the town built by 
Herod, and named after the emperor Augustus. 

* 1 Kings xvi. 24. 



JAFFA. 



313 



A large portion of the walls, and two gates, 
are still standing ; and a high tower rises 
from the mighty castle. Several churches are 
discernible ; but jackalls now inhabit the 
magnificent buildings which date from the 
time of Herod and the crusades ; and only a 
few Bedouins occasionally pitch their tents 
there. It was the residence of the Roman 
governor, in the time of the apostles, and was 
also the chief town of Syria. 

Cesarea was the birth-place of Cornelius, 
the first-fruit of the Gentiles. Here Philip 
the evangelist lived,* and Paul stayed with him 
on his way to Jerusalem. On hearing the 
prophecy of his death, he said to his friends, 
66 What mean ye to weep and to break my 
heart? for I am ready not to be bound only, 
but also to die at Jerusalem for the name of 
the Lord Jesus." f And he was soon after 
taken prisoner to Cesarea, and led before the 
judgment-seat of Herod. He defended himself 
so ably before the governor, that Felix trem- 
bled, and answered, " Go thy way for this 
time, when I have a convenient season I will 
call for thee." After two years of imprison- 
ment, Paul spoke before Festus in such a 
manner, that he exclaimed, "Paul, much learn- 
ing doth make thee mad." And Agrippa con- 
fessed, " almost thou persuadest me to be a 
christian." Paul afterwards took ship from 
this place for his martyr-voyage to Rome. J 
The conflict between the Jews and Greeks, 



* Acts viii. 40. f lb. xxi. 8, 13. 

X lb. xxiii. 33; xxvii. 2. 



314 



JAFFA. 



which at last ended in the destruction of 
Jerusalem, originated at Cesarea. A succession 
of bishops is then mentioned, among whom we 
find the celebrated Eusebius, who lived at the 
time of Constantine. From him we derive 
the important intelligence respecting the church 
of the first century ; and particularly regarding 
the journey of Helena to the Promised Land, 
and the buildings of Constantine. Numerous 
ruins of old cities extend along the coast from 
Cesarea. Among them, we particularly re- 
marked the castle of Athlit, which was erected 
by the Templars over Roman foundations. 



CHAPTER VI. 



NAZARETH. 



On the third morning, which was Sunday, 
the pinnacles of the convent on Carmel glittered 
in the rays of the rising sun; it rose majestically 
from the sea among the mountains of Ephraim, 
to the height of twelve hundred feet ; and its 
name, " Emit region," was fully justified by 
the bay and olive trees that adorned its feet, 
and by the oaks and pines that crowned its 
summit. While sailing round the mountain, 
the clear tones of the convent bell resounded 



KAZARETH, 



815 



far over the waters. We landed at the little 
town of Haifa. The flags were flying from 
the houses of the consular agents, and we soon 
obtained accommodation under the standard of 
the Prussian eagle, where we found a more- 
sumptuous entertainment than any of which 
we had hitherto partaken in the Promised 
Land. We, nevertheless, soon tore ourselves 
from the divan of the airy chamber and hastened 
to the convent. 

Leaving on the side the city of the dead, 
with its rocky graves, and the extensive ruins 
of the former Haifa, we proceeded along a 
road adorned with olive and bay-trees and the 
fig-cactus. Behind us lay the large bay, 
which reaching far into the land extends from 
the foot of Carmel to Acca, while in the distant 
north glittered the snow-white head of Lebanon. 
The sound of the bell fell on our ears, and in a 
Sabbath frame of mind we ascended the moun- 
tain, and stood before the magnificent building. 
The convent was once destroyed ; and the Car- 
melite monks have lately succeeded in raising 
sufficient funds to rebuild it; the architect, a lay 
brother having travelled through the whole of 
Europe for the purpose of collecting contribu- 
tions for this Hospice. He has succeeded in 
obtaining the means for the erection of a build- 
ing, the finest of which Palestine can boast ; and 
the tri-coloured flag of France now waves 
proudly from its summit. We entered the 
mighty convent, and were led through its wide 
and lofty passages into the cheerful, though still 
rather empty refectory, where a sumptuous en- 
tertainment was prepared for us. We soon 



316 



NAZARETH. 



visited the large and beautiful church under 
the high altar; and approached by two steps 
the grotto where Elijah is said to have 
sojourned. The rocks of Mount Carmel contain 
numerous holes and grottos, once the abodes of 
prophets and hermits ; and the lower part of 
the convent on the declivity of the promontory 
presents to view a large grotto increased in size 
by art, in which the schools of the prophets 
that collected round Elijah, called in Scripture 
the sons of the prophets, are said to have had 
their dwelling. The prospect from the flat 
roof of the convent is very extensive. The 
promontory extending to the north towards the 
mountain of Ephraim, is washed by the waves 
of the sea. Acca on one side, and Athlit on 
the other, bound the view upon the coast ; and 
towards the east, the dark green mountains 
tower higher and higher ; while above them the 
white head of Hermon glows with the purple 
rays of the declining sun. This solemn place of 
silence was chosen by Elijah when he gathered 
all Israel together with the prophets of Baal, and 
said : " How long halt ye between two opinions ? 
If the Lord be God, follow him ; but if Baal, 
then follow him." When Baal continued dumb 
to the prayers of his servants, Elijah repaired 
the altar of the Lord that was broken down ; 
the fire of the Lord fell and consumed the 
sacrifice ; and all the people said, " The Lord, 
he is the God ; the Lord, he is the God !" The 
prophets of Baal were slain by the brook Kishon. 
Soon the great famine at Samaria ceased, for 
Elijah's servant saw 66 a little cloud rise out of 
the sea, like a man's hand, and the heaven 



&AZARETH. 



317 



became black with clouds and wind, and there 
was a great rain." With the rain the famine 
in the Holy Land ceased. These great remem- 
brances, the silent feelings of devotion awakened 
by the mountain, and the home-like comfort of 
the convent permitted us to celebrate Sunday 
there, which gave us true Sabbath rest, and often 
afterwards filled us with longings for " the ex- 
cellency of Carmel." 

As Galilee had been much disturbed during 
the past week by the conflicts of different 
tribes, we united in a company of fourteen 
travellers in the convent, and with the servants, 
the Mucaries and the escort, we formed a train 
of nearly forty horses. The way led through 
Haifa to the foot of Carmel. After two hours 
we left the extensive and fruitful plain, and 
ascended the mountain path through thick 
woods. We then arrived at the plain of Jez- 
reel, and crossed the brook Kishon, which 
running from Tabor to the foot of Carmel, flows 
into the Mediterranean sea. We soon after 
reached the borders of Galilee. Galilee con- 
sists of an undulating extent of table land ter- 
minating on the west in the plain of Acca, on 
the south in that of Jezreel, steeply descending 
on the east towards the Sea of Gennesareth, and 
on the north to the foot of Hermon ; two 
mountains rise from it, Mount Saphet on the 
north, and Tabor on the south, while between 
them lies the plain of Zabulon. 

The plain of Jezreel, in Greek Esdrelom, 
stretches eight leagues from the south-east to the 
north-west, and measures in its greatest breadth 
in the north five leagues; it is bounded by 



318 



NAZARETH. 



Carmel and Gilboa on the south, and the table 
land of Galilee on the north. A side arm runs 
out to the east which is again divided by the 
little Hermon into two parts ; the one extends 
on the north-east to the foot of Tabor, the other 
on the south-west to Jordan. The soil of the 
valley of J ezreel is unusually fertile, and has 
always been distinguished by the richness of its 
fields. To the south, lies Jezreel, or Zerin, the 
dwelling place of Ahab, king of Israel, and 
J ezebel his wife. For the sake of its vineyard, 
Naboth was stoned ; and Elijah pronounced the 
fearful prophecy which was fulfilled to the 
letter : " In the place where dogs licked the 
blood of Naboth shall dogs lick thy blood. And 
the dogs shall eat Jezebel by the wall of Jez- 
reel." Jehu soon became the instrument of 
Divine justice. Not far distant to the north 
lies Solam, or Sunam, through which Elisha 
often passed in going from the school of the 
prophets at Jordan to that on Carmel. He was 
received into the house of a rich woman, the 
Shunamite. At his prayer she bore a son in 
her old age, who was raised from the dead by 
Elisha, a type of the event that afterwards 
occurred on the other side of little Hermon, 
when the Lord raised the young man of Nain. 
To the west of Jezreel lay Megiddo, or Lejjun, 
with the charming plain of the same name, 
which was once one of the most dreadful battle- 
fields on the earth. The Canaanites having 
risen against Israel, Deborah arose from the 
palm trees of Bethel, and at her prophetical 
word Barak slew Jabin the Canaanitish king. 
The Midianites and Amalekites gathered toge- 



NAZARETH. 



319 



ther and pitched in the valley of Jezreel. Gideon 
the fighting hero caused the trumpets to be 
blown, and with the call, " The sword of the 
Lord and of Gideon/' the enemy's host was 
conquered by three hundred chosen men of 
Israel. * The Philistines afterwards encamped 
at Shunem. Saul, forsaken by God, hastened to 
the witch at Endor, and on the following day 
his army was defeated on Mount Gilboa, and 
in despair he fell upon his sword, f Benhadad, 
king of Syria, had said, " The Lord is God of 
the hills, but he is not God of the valleys and 
he was, therefore, himself killed in this wide 
plain by the godless Ahab.J On the plain of 
Megiddo the God-fearing Josiah transgressed 
against the word of the Lord, and fell in con- 
flict against Pharaoh-Necho. § Nebuchad- 
nezzar's army lay here under Holofernes ; and 
Vespasians troops fought at the foot of Tabor 
against the rebellious Jews. Not far off, the 
crusaders were defeated by Saladin ; and the 
Holy Land that had been bought with torrents 
of christian blood, fell to this day into the 
hands of the unbelievers. Here, too, Napoleon, 
with two thousand Frenchmen, overcame five 
and twenty thousand Turks. And after such 
conflicts in all times, and between all nations, 
we can well understand that when the Scripture 
speaks of the last warfare, at the pouring out of 
the vial of God's wrath upon the earth, the 
Mountain of Megiddo, the Hebrew " Arma- 
geddon" should benamed as the place where the 



* Judges vi. 7. f 1 Samuel xxviii. 5, 5. 

t 1 Kings xx. § 2 Chron. xxxv. 20, 24. 



820 



NAZARETH. 



kings of the earth shall be gathered " to the 
battle of that great day of God Almighty."* 

We ascended from the plain to the Hill of 
Galilee ; the fruitful land was covered with 
green meadows and cheerful villages ; and 
scarcely had the majestic rock of Tabor risen 
before us when we looked down into Nasirah^ 
the still valley of Nazareth. It is a great 
ravine about half a league in length from north 
to south, surrounded by limestone rocks, which 
rise highest on the north-west near Neby Ismail, 
and decline towards the south, where a narrow 
valley runs towards the great plain of J ezreel. 
The town extends in an amphitheatrical form to 
the north-western hills ; and its white cheerful 
houses have here flat roofs instead of the domes, 
so customary in Judea. Seven hours after 
leaving Carmel, we reached the deeply situated 
Latin Convent, which offers in its Casa Nuova 
an agreeable resting-place for the pilgrim. We 
found ourselves on the consecrated spot where 
the angel Gabriel came to the virgin Mary and 
said, — " Hail, thou that art highly favoured, 
the Lord is with thee : blessed art thou among 
women." f Here, too, Joseph came with the 
child Jesus and his mother ; " and the child 
grew, and waxed strong in spirit, and increased 
in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God 
and man." J We wandered along the paths the 
Saviour's childish feet had trod : we hastened 
to the church where we heard the organ's tones, 
and saw hosts of kneeling children joining with 
their youthful voices in the hymn of praise for 

* Rev. xvi, 14, 16. f Luke i. 26, 28. X lb. ii.40, 52. 



NAZARETH. 



321 



the Holy Child. Under the high altar a pious 
boy shewed us a grotto, in which the angel is 
said to have appeared to Mary ; another, where 
she dwelt with Joseph ; and a third, which served 
her for a kitchen : a crevice in the rock is said 
to have been the chimney; and while the 
charming boy related all the history to me with 
streaming eyes, I could well enter into his 
childish feelings. Leaving the church we 
wandered to the spring of the town, which 
affords delicious water. Many mothers were 
drawing from it, surrounded by their lively 
children. Placing the replenished pitcher on 
their heads, they hastened back, while the 
children sprang joyfully about them, and thus 
must Mary have done with the child Jesus ! 
We went through the town which contains 
about three thousand inhabitants, the majority 
of whom are Christians. As the Lord was 
called Jesus of Nazareth, the Christians of the 
first century bore the name Nazarites, and in 
Arabic they are still called Nusrany. On the 
site of the present houses the synagogue must 
have stood, in which the Lord went and spoke 
on the Sabbath day ; so 66 that all wondered at 
the gracious words that proceeded out of his 
mouth!" 

Ascending the highest elevation of the 
mountain by a Mohammedan monument, we sud- 
denly obtained a charming prospect. The sum- 
mit of Tabor rose from among the eastern 
mountains, and at its foot lay the plain of J ez- 
reel, drunk with the blood of the combatants 
for the honour of God. Behind it, were the 
mountains of Gilboa and Samaria, with the 



322 



NAZARETH. 



fruitful hill of Carmel, its summit crowned by 
the convent of Elijah, its foot bathed by the 
blue waters of the Mediterranean, upon whose 
waters the message of peace has been conveyed 
to the nations of the earth, and gifts have been 
brought to Zion. The wide bay of Haifa, the 
sides of which were adorned with meadows, and 
upon the last of the towering mountains, behind 
the beautiful plain of Buttauf, was Saphet, " a 
city set upon a hill," while the snow of Hermon 
glittering in the distance, completed the picture. 
From this magnificent view our eyes looked down 
upon the cheerful houses overshadowed by the 
dark green of ancient cypresses. From hence, 
after thirty years of great preparation, our Saviour 
went forth to proclaim the message of peace, 
to enlighten the hearts of men, to bring a sword 
where false peace reigned, and to inflame the 
zeal of the disciples. What must have been 
the feelings of the Lord when in his youthful 
days he ascended from this quiet valley, and 
gazed far over mountain and sea ! 

The next morning we rode between thick 
bushes and oak woods up the elevation gradu- 
ally extending from Nazareth to Tabor. We 
saw the village of Deburijeh, the Daberath of 
Joshua;* and then descended the zigzag path to 
the wooded peak of Tabor, which we reached in 
two hours. It is surrounded by the ruins of 
former fortifications, perhaps partly belonging to 
the works of Josephus twenty years after the 
death of Christ, but the larger part no doubt 
attributable to the knights of the cross and the 



* Joshua xix. 12. 



NAZARETH. 



323 



Saracens. The south-eastern is the highest 
peak, rising seventeen hundred feet above the 
level of the sea. A church was built among 
ruins of great antiquity ; and there is still a sub- 
terranean chapel in the vicinity with an altar, 
before which the monks from Nazareth read 
mass once a year. Looking abroad from among 
the ruins of the church, we perceived at our 
feet the plain of J ezreel with its fertile fields ; 
and on the declivity of little Hermon appeared 
Endor, where Samuel, by the woman with a 
familiar spirit, announced to Saul his death. 
Not far to the west was Nain, where the woman, 
by the coffin of her only son, heard the Saviour's 
word " Weep not!"* The summit of the little 
Hermon was visible, with the plain of Jezreel 
and the lovely Carmel, The plain of Zabulon 
appeared, adorned with fields, and Saphet, one of 
the Jews' four holy cities, crowned the northern 
mountain. The snow-capped summit of Hermon 
rose to view, and the fruitful fields bordering the 
lake of Gennesareth. The northern part of the 
sea, recalling the sweetest recollections, glittered 
in the rays of the sun ; to the south appeared 
only the rocky gloomy boundary of the sea near 
Gadara, and the eye then rested on the lovely 
plains of Jordan, and on the distant mountains of 
Bashan and Gilead. But the lake of Gennesareth 
and the snow of Lebanon were ever visible ; 
and it seemed as if the " Holy Mount" f were 
thus wonderfully endowed with beauty because 
the Lord went there to pray, " and took with 
him Peter and James and John; and as he 



* Luke vii. 11, 16. 



t 2 Peter i. 18. 
Y 



NAZARETH. 



prayed lie was transfigured before them, and his 
face did shine as the sun, and his raiment was 
white as the light. And, behold, there talked 
with him two men, which were Moses and Elias, 
who appeared in glory, and spake of his decease 
which he should accomplish at Jerusalem." And 
Peter said unto him : " Master, it is good for us 
to be here ; and let us make three tabernacles ; one 
for thee, and one for Moses, and one for Elias." * 
Moses and Elijah — law and prophecy — united 
upon the awful cliffs of Sinai, appeared together 
on this enchanting mount ; and in their glorious 
transfiguration typified the miracle of Golgotha. 
They soon vanished, and Jesus only remained 
with the disciples ; as after every hour of that 
blessed anticipation, which illuminates an earthly 
life with heavenly rapture, one alone remains, 
u Jesus only." 

How willingly could we, too, have built taber- 
nacles here ! On our departure we saw that 
the grass was burning on the other side of the 
plain ; and found that one of the servants of 
the company had, either through carelessness, 
or wantonness, set it on fire in lighting his pipe. 
The flames rapidly advanced, fed by the neigh- 
bouring bushes, and it was with difficulty that 
we anxiously hurried over the burning ground ; 
while our people, after the true oriental fashion, 
rejoiced over the spreading flames. In descend- 
ing, we found the clouds of smoke thicker and 
blacker than before ; and it was only after some 
hours that the fire died away among the fresh 
green of the trees, or the foundation walls on 



* Matthew xvil 1, 9 ; Luke ix. 28. 36. 



TIBERIAS. 



the mountain. We now proceeded on the 
nearest road to Tiberias, and the plain which 
had before appeared flat, now proved to be an 
undulating surface, declining in the form of 
terraces to the lake of Gennesareth. On emerg- 
ing from a ravine we were met by a troop of 
mounted Bedouins ; intimidated by our strong 
party they merely passed by with a salutation. 
The encounters with the Bedouins near Tabor, 
had otherwise been lately of a serious character. 
After five hours, we arrived in sight of the lake 
of Gennesareth ; the most beautiful place in all 
the earth, and that by which the Saviour loved 
best to linger. 



CHAPTER VII. 
TIBER! AS. 



We gradually descended a steep pass, and 
entered the town of Tiberias, or Tubarijeh. 
Nearly destroyed by an earthquake eight years 
since, it was afterwards ruined by war, and is 
now reduced to a heap of ruins, from which a 
very few houses remain entire. We proceeded 
among ruins to the house of a German Jew, 
who has established a kind of inn, and who, 
notwithstanding the formidable size of our 
caravan, quickly brought forward the necessary 
provisions, and set before us excellent fish from 
the lake. We soon rambled to the southern 

y 2 



326 



TIBERIAS. 



side of the town, and here numerous ruins of 
walls and towers indicate the site of the former 
town. Close to the point where the mountains 
advance so close to the sea, as only to leave a 
small passage between, are four warm sul- 
phur-baths and a bathing-house, with a large 
marble basin in a rotunda, just prepared for the 
Pasha of Acca, who was spending some days in 
Tiberias. The water was so hot, that we could 
scarcely bear our hands in it ; and it was on 
account of these baths that Herod Antipas, 
who beheaded John the Baptist, caused the 
town to be built on this spot. He named it 
Tiberias, in honour of the Emperor, and made 
it the capital city of Galilee. When Vespasian 
advanced towards Jerusalem, the inhabitants of 
Tiberias voluntarily submitted to him, and the 
town remained inhabited by Jews. It soon 
became the assembly place of the high council, 
or Sanhedrim, which consisted of seventy elders, 
and Tiberias was considered as the focus of 
Jewish learning. In the year 200, one of the 
Rabbis collected together the different traditions 
and proverbs of the Jews, and thus compiled 
the Talmud, which they hold in more venera- 
tion than the Old Testament — the Mishna. 
After the fourth century, Tiberias lost its repu- 
tation for learning ; and the few German Jews 
who now traverse the streets in worn-out Euro- 
pean clothing, only appear as witnesses of the 
divine curse. The Jews form about the fourth 
part of the present population, which amounts 
to nearly fifteen hundred souls. 

We repaired at sun-set, to a tower rising 
from the waters, and looked down upon the 



TIBERIAS. 



327 



lovely lake of Gennesareth in its whole extension 
of three leagues in length, and more than a league 
in breadth. In the Old Testament, where it is 
only mentioned as a boundary mark, it is called 
Chinnereth ; * and in the New Testament, it 
is designated either as the sea of Tiberias 
or the Galilean Sea. In the south, the moun- 
tains approach near to its verge ; and in the 
east, they rise so darkly and dismally, that we 
were reminded of the gloomy mountains of 
Moab by the Dead Sea. They form the 
boundary of the plain upon which Gadara, or 
Om-Keis lay ; beautiful ruins of the time of the 
emperors are to be seen there, and the neigh- 
bouring chalk cliffs are full of tombs. This 
was one of the seats of heathen voluptuousness ; 
and when Jesus was there, two, possessed with 
devils, came towards him out of the tombs, and 
confessing that he was the Son of God, besought 
him that they might enter into a herd of swine 
which were feeding near. The Lord gave per- 
mission, and the whole herd, which was unclean 
according to the law, ran violently down a steep 
place into the sea. f The gloomy rocks instantly 
recalled these histories to our recollection. Two 
deep ravines divide the northern cliffs ; at the 
third, the valley suddenly expands to a cheerful 
plain, which, adorned with fields and trees, 
extends to the Jordan. We could distinctly 
perceive the river running into the sea, and its 
course remained long visible. On a hill, about 
a league from the eastern shore, lie some very 
considerable ruins ; probably betokening the 

* Numbers xxxiv. 11. f Matthew viii. 28, 34, 



TIBERIAS. 



site of Bethsaida Julias. In the wilderness 
near this town, the Lord was once followed by a 
great multitude, amounting to five thousand 
men, without women and children. " He gave 
them five loaves and two fishes ; and they did 
all eat and were filled ; and they took up of the 
fragments that remained twelve baskets full."* 
And soon after, Jesus came into the borders of 
Tyre and Sidon, where the Canaanitish woman 
received what she desired as the reward of 
her faith. He ascended a mountain, in this 
desert, perhaps, and much people came unto 
him. They remained with him three days ; 
until at last the Lord said : " I have compassion 
on the multitude." And he fed four thousand, 
with seven loaves and a few small fishes, f 

Looking from Tiberias towards the western 
shore, we find the mountains, with their terrace- 
like sides, approaching close to the sea ; but at 
the distance of about a league, they again retreat 
in the form of a wide arch, leaving open a 
plain, a league in length, and half a league in 
breadth. It is the land of Gennesareth ; % and 
it makes good in an eminent degree, all that has 
been recorded of the fruitfulness of the shore. 
It still produces in great abundance, all kinds of 
corn and vegetables, and trees of different 
climates grow close to one another. At the 
spot where the mountains abruptly retreat from 
the charming plain, and form a steep wall be- 
fore it, lies the village Mejdel, or Magdala, the 
home of the favoured Mary Magdalene, " out 



* Matthew xiv. 13, 21 ; John vi. 1, 4. 
f Mark viii. 1, 9. % Matthew xiv. 34, 



TIBERIAS. 



329 



of whom went seven devils/' * before the Lord 
had filled her heart with heavenly peace. The 
three places, Chorazin, Bethsaida, and Caper- 
naum, in which most of Christ's mighty works 
were done, are also in this neighbourhood. 
Bethsaida, a fisher's village, was the home of 
Peter and his brother Andrew, and of Philip. 
The Lord had often tarried there ; but yet the 
reproof must be heard : " Woe unto thee, 
Chorazin ! Woe unto thee, Bethsaida ! for if 
the mighty works which were done in you, had 
been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have 
repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes." f 
Their names have vanished, and no traces of 
ruins mark their former site. 

It happened, to them as to Capernaum, which 
stood near, bounding the land of Gennes- 
areth on the north. The town was situated on 
the great highway leading from Damascus and 
the interior of Asia, through Tyre, to Europe 
on the one side, and through Acre to Egypt on 
the other. Much intercourse with strangers 
was, therefore, carried on in Galilee ; many of the 
Gentiles settled there ; and Isaiah had long ago 
called it te Galilee of the nations." % It fell 
under Roman domination, and Capernaum be- 
came one of the principal tribute cities. The 
Lord removed from Nazareth and dwelt here ; § 
it was even so dear to him as to be called " his 
own city ;" || andin ithe performedmany miracles. 
A centurion came to Jesus, and addressing him 
with a faith, such as he had not found in Israel, 



* Luke viii. 2. f Matthew xi. 21. % Isaiah ix. 1. 
§ Matthew iv. 13. )| Matthew ix. 1 



830 



TIBERIAS. 



said, u speak the word only, and my servant 
shall be healed and it was done unto him as he 
had believed. * One sick of the palsy heard the 
words, " Son, be of good cheer, thy sins be 
forgiven thee and he arose, took up his bed 
and walked, f And the deepest thing, and that 
most fraught with mystery spoken by the Lord, 
repecting the union between himself and the 
Believer, was heard in the synagogue at Caper- 
naum : " My flesh is meat indeed, and my 
blood is drink indeed. He that eateth my 
flesh and drinketh my blood, dwelleth in me and 
I in him." J But, therefore, he also said: 
" Thou, Capernaum, which art exalted unto 
Heaven shall be brought down to Hell."§ 
The very name of Capernaum has vanished, 
not a single ruin remains ; and we are only left 
to conclude that the town may have stood 
near a refreshing spring, by the ruins of a Khan. 
From this place the ground softly undulates, and 
gradually the hills and mountains rise higher and 
higher, until in the distance glitters the snow of 
Lebanon, delightfully cooling the valley beneath. 
The beautiful scenery delighted us, and the 
clearness of the water was such that we could 
almost see to the bottom. Sudden gusts of 
wind often blew from the numerous valleys, and 
ruffled its placid surface. Thus it was when 
Jesus rebuked the winds and the sea, and there 
was a great calm.|| Another time, when the 
disciples were afraid of the waves, Jesus ap- 
proached them. Peter, re-assured, walked upon 



* Matthew viii. 5, 13. t Matthew ix. 1,2. 

t John vi. 55, 56. § Matt xi. 23. || lb. viii. 26. 



TIBERIAS, 



831 



the water towards him, but regarding the strong 
wind instead of Christ, he began to sink, until 
the man " of little faith" seized his Saviour's 
outstretched hand. * And after the resurrection, 
Jesus again revealed himself to his disciples on 
the lake ; they had toiled the whole night, and 
had taken no fish, but throwing in the net at his 
command, they were not able to draw it up for 
the multitude of fishes, John exclaimed, " It 
is the Lord!" He recognised him by the 
blessing, f 

The lovely lake, with its charming banks, 
was a fit spot to be the favourite place of the 
Son of God. Fruits and vegetables of all 
climates are here found together in an extra- 
ordinary manner ; for the hot south wind from 
Jordan blows unhindered, while cool breezes 
are at the same time wafted from Lebanon, 
so that walnuts ripen by the side of dates. 
And, much as the glory of the lake has been 
obliterated by the curse, it is yet a most en- 
chanting spot. The valley is exceedingly warm, 
for, lying with the lake, five hundred feet lower 
than the sea, the sun's rays, from the south 
particularly, are thrown back from the moun- 
tains, which rise to the height of a thousand 
feet. Almost all the inhabitants of Tiberias 
had, therefore, erected huts of boughs, or straw, 
upon their houses, under which they reposed 
during the night. There is no ship or boat to 
be seen upon the water. Thorns and thistles 
grow upon the roads and fields, and a few palm 
trees stand alone. As Yespasian fought a 



Matthew xiv. 23, 33. 



t Johnxxi. 1, 14. 



332 



TIBERIAS. 



battle upon the placid lake, in which the Jews 
were cruelly slain, so its banks must also bear 
the punishment of the curse. 

On the following morning, we rode up the 
terraced height. That which has been the 
result of the most assiduous cultivation on the 
other side of the Promised Land, is here the 
product of nature only. The lovely lake often 
appeared before us with its shining waters. 
After two hours and a half, we reached the 
mountain peaks of Hattin, or Kurun Hattin. 
Ascending the higher, which forms a small 
round plain, with some inconsiderable ruins, 
we enjoyed a magnificent prospect of Hermon 
and Tabor, the plain of Gennesareth, with the 
steep mountain declivity near Magdala, and 
the northern part of the lake. The Latins 
assert this to be the spot where our Lord 
preached his sermon on the mount ; and point 
out the amphitheatrical plain as the place where 
the people listened. Near this spot that dread- 
ful battle was fought, in which the crusaders 
lost the domination of the Promised Land. 
The brave sultan Saladin, in 1187, slew the 
weak king of Jerusalem. The finest and most 
valiant army that the western world had ever 
assembled in the Holy Land, consisting of 
two thousand knights, eight thousand foot 
soldiers, and a large band of light armed 
troops was annihilated. The discord among 
the christian princes was the cause of the 
defeat. In vain they sought, during a hundred 
years, to recover what was then lost. 

We rode on over hills and through lovely 
valleys, with rich fields and olive groves, and 



TIBERIAS. 



333 



saw several straggling villages upon the sum- 
mits and on the sides of the mountains. For 
a long time, we followed the course of a large 
valley, and then suddenly turning in a south- 
easterly direction, saw before us Cana of 
Galilee, or Kefr Kenna. It lies on a rising 
ground, near the southern boundary of the 
plain of Zabulon. The summit of the hill is 
covered with ruins, and gardens extend from 
the village to the valley. The remains of an 
old building are visible in the middle ; the most 
ancient part, particularly some doors, are 
evidently of the Roman time ; they were after- 
wards turned into a church, and then into a 
mosque. They are said to be the ruins of the 
house in which the Lord performed his first 
miracle of turning water into wine.* At the 
end of the village, we found a well of abundant 
water ; and then reposing in a luxuriant fruit- 
garden, beneath the red flowers of the pome- 
granate tree, we thought of C ana's glorious 
Past, and lovely Present. Leaving the quiet 
valley, which is only open on one side, toward 
the wide plain of Zabulon, we returned by a 
beautiful path to the hill of Nazareth, which 
we reached in about two hours. The peaceful 
convent received us into its hospitable halls., 
which were alreadv dear to our hearts. 

We departed at noon on the following day. 
Vineyards and fine plantations long bore wit- 
ness to the assiduous industry of the Nazarites. 
Proceeding by cheerful gardens, we reached 
the eminence, forming the boundary between 



* Johnii. 1, 11. 



884 



TIBERIAS. 



Galilee and the plain of Acca. This plain 
now lay before us, with the glittering waters 
of the sea. Immediately below us, upon a 
wooded hill, was Schefa Amar, with its colossal 
citadel, and a large church of the time of the 
middle ages ; while, below, were the houses 
of the town, and a supply of excellent water 
in a marble basin. Continuing along the plain, 
and through fruitful fields, we arrived at Acca,, 
where we found accommodation in the Latin 
convent. 

Acre, Acca, or Accho* (called Ptolemais in the 
book of the Maccabees) lies upon a rock, which 
projects from the sea, and is therefore admirably 
adapted for a fortress. It was early celebrated 
from the circumstance that, by the river Belus, 
(Shihor-libnath f ) close to this spot, the dis- 
covery of glass was made, and the sand found 
there is peculiarly adapted for its preparation. 
A christian church was soon formed at this 
place ; and, on his journey to Cesarea, Paul 
" saluted the brethren, and abode with them 
one day." X It was called upon to suffer several 
dreadful sieges : Oman took it from the Greek 
emperors ; Baldwin I., of Jerusalem, from the 
Saracens ; and it again fell into Saladin's pos- 
session after the battle of Hattin ; Richard, of 
the lion heart, and Philip, of France, after- 
wards conquered it ; upon which the Knights 
of St. John established themselves there, 
giving it the name of St. Jean d'Acre. But 
in Acre, the crusaders lost, in 1291, their last 
possession in the Holy Land, and sixty thou- 



* Judges i. 30. f Joshua xix. 26. J Acts xxi. 7. 



TIBERIAS. 



335 



sand christians forfeited their lives at its storm- 
ing. Napoleon was obliged to retire from it ; 
and Ibrahim Pasha, after a long siege, obtained 
possession of the town. At last, in 1840, when 
European policy took the Holy Land from the 
hand of Mehemet Ali (but gave it back again 
to the infidels, from whom, eight centuries ago, 
a hundred thousand faithful christians had 
sought to tear it with the sacrifice of their 
blood), it was again the seat of the great 
attack upon the power of Egypt. In the 
space of seven hours, the bombs from the 
English ships so devastated the town, that only 
about one house was preserved entire. Even 
now, the streets were not completely re-built ; 
and the citadel particularly showed traces of 
desolation. The bodies of those who were 
destroyed by the explosion of the powder maga- 
zine were still sometimes found ; and the Turks 
eagerly searched the shore for the cannon 
balls, which lay there in large numbers. How 
jmuch easier was conflict now, but how different 
its aim ! 



CHAPTER VIII. 



LEBANON. 



After waiting a day for a favourable wind, 
we left the harbour on the morning of the 
31st May, in the steamer we had hired at Jaffa, 
and sailed slowly along the coast. The island 



836 



LEBANON. 



of Tyre appeared before us on the following 
morning, about half a league in length, and 
scarcely a quarter of a league broad. Here, 
two centuries before the time of Solomon, the 
city " in the midst of the seas " * was founded. 
Its commerce soon made it the mistress of the 
seas, and proudly it affirmed, " I am of perfect 
beauty." Nebuchadnezzar, at the word of the 
Lord, besieged it thirteen years ; and then 
came Alexander the Great, who razed the old 
town according to the prophecy, " They shall 
break down thy walls, and destroy thy pleasant 
houses, and they shall lay thy stones, and thy 
timber, and thy dust in the midst of the water;" 
and thus he formed a dam for the purpose of 
uniting the island with the sea. After seven 
months, the town was conquered and set on 
fire, in fulfilment of the threatening, "I will 
bring forth a fire from the midst of thee, it shall 
devour thee, and 1 will bring thee to ashes." But 
Tyre was again restored, for it was the Lord's 
will that it should be remembered, and that 
its merchandise should be holiness to the Lord; 
and it therefore attained to a degree of splen- 
* dour that was the astonishment of the crusaders. 
After their expulsion, the judgment of desolation 
again fell on it, and it was made a waste city. 
The harbour is now almost blocked up with 
sand. On the south-eastern side of the town 
stand the ruins of the great cathedral, for which 
the renowned Eusebius wrote a consecration 
harangue. It must have been the most mag- 
nificent of all the churches in Phoenicia ; but 



* Ezekiel xxvii. 25. 



LEBANON. 



337 



there are only a few pillars remaining, against 
which the miserable little huts of the poor 
Arabs lean. No trace remains of the old town ; 
but the dam, built by Alexander, has become 
wider and firmer, by the drifts of sand ; and, 
as a memorial of the Divine justice, still unites 
the island with the coast. The southern and 
larger part of the island is " made like the top 
of a rock, a place for the spreading of nets." 
The foundations of many houses, and pillars 
of granite beneath the water, are still discern- 
ible, as the Lord said, " I will bring up the 
deep upon thee, and great waters shall cover 
thee." "How art thou destroyed, thou renowned 
city, which wast strong on the sea ! " * We 
embarked about noon; and soon perceived, 
near the coast, on the declivity of a solitary 
mountain, the large village, Surafend ; while, 
nearer the sea, an Arab Wely marked the site 
of the old Zarpath, or Zarephath, the residence 
of the widow, with whom Elijah tarried during 
the great famine. She had only a handful of 
meal in a barrel, and a little oil in a cruse ; 
"but the barrel of meal wasted not, neither 
did the cruse of oil fail." And when the 
widow's son died, Elijah took him, and after 
praying over him, was able to say to the 
mother, u See, thy son liveth."f 

Towards evening, we saw Saida, or Sidon, 
illuminated by the bright rays of the setting 
sun. It is one of the most ancient cities, and 
was renowned for its commerce and riches. 
Its crimes, too, were great; and, with Tyrus, 

* Ezek. xxvi. xxvii. xxviii. ; Isa. xxiii. 
t 1 Kings xvii. 8-24. 



338 



LEBANON. 



it received many prophetic warnings. But its 
importance was preserved much longer ; it was 
considered as the harbour of Damascus, and 
was the centre of much of the traffic which 
is now diverted to Beyrout. The mulberry 
plantations in the neighbourhood are sources 
of great wealth. The number of its inhabitants 
may amount to five thousand. It is a charm- 
ing place, with its gardens and groves of 
luxuriant fruit trees, which particularly adorn 
the southern plain. 

At sun-rise, on the following morning, we 
ran into the large harbour of Beyrout, or 
Berothai,* in which were numerous ships of 
war and commerce. It lies upon the north- 
western side of a promontory, projecting far 
into the sea, and numbers fifteen thousand 
inhabitants. The houses are higher and statelier 
than in the other towns along the coast ; and 
it is obvious, at the first glance, that, since the 
last ten years, it has become the centre of the 
European trade with Syria. Remains of anti- 
quity abound ; and the town is surrounded 
with gardens and groves, with fruit or mul- 
berry trees. In the midst of these gardens 
are the residences of the Franks, and of the 
consul-general. We were so happy as again 
to be permitted to mingle in the scenes of 
German life ; for, after a period of half a year, 
we once more enjoyed social intercourse with 
a family from our own land — that of the con- 
sul-general, Mr. Von Wildenbruch. From the 
magnificent terrace of the house, which is dis- 



* 2 Samuel viii. 8. 



LEBANON. 



339 



tinguished by its stately cypresses, we enjoyed 
a charming view over the rich gardens and 
houses of the town ; before them lay the ships 
of war at anchor, surrounded by hundreds of 
smaller vessels ; and all around were the clear 
waters, bounded on the north by the height 
of Lebanon. Green gardens and groves 
adorned its base, and rich vegetation was 
discernible among its rugged rocks. Innumera- 
ble villages and convents were to be seen, 
illuminated by the lights of evening ; while, 
high above them, towered the hoary heights 
of Lebanon, or the White Mountain. 

This range had lately been the theatre of a 
wild contest between the Maronites and the 
Druses. Nearly seventy villages were wrapt in 
flames ; and many thousand persons, most of 
them Maronites, wandered forth without a 
place of shelter. Tranquillity was now restored; 
but, for our better protection on the journey, 
Mr. Von Wildenbruch had the kindness to 
give us one ofhis Cawasses, as a guard. With a 
very agreeable companion in a French marquess, 
we left the gates of Beyrout on the morning 
of the 6th of June. Proceeding along the 
shore, through beautiful gardens, we reached, 
in about two hours, the entrance to Nahbrel-Kel. 
The rocky sides of the valley were adorned 
with a multitude of fragrant flowers ; and this 
charming place, on the highway between 
Europe, Asia, and Africa, has been selected 
by the monarchs of the world to contain the 
monuments of their march. There are three 
Egyptian and six Persian representations 
placed consecutively, with inscriptions. Nearer 

z 



340 



LEBANON. 



the river, is an inscription in the Greet lan- 
guage, pointing out the road as the Via An- 
tonina. 

In the evening, we took possession of the large 
khan, in the village of Dschebeil, or Gehah 
The inhabitants once prepared at Lebanon 
the wood and the stone for the temple of 
Solomon * It was called Pyblus by the Greeks 
and Romans ; and was rendered notorious by 
being the seat of the worship of Adonis, to 
whom boys were offered. The Maronites have 
a large and beautiful church here. On the 
following day the heat was so oppressive, not- 
withstanding a cooling sea wind, that two 
horses of our caravan fell. We were, therefore, 
glad to rest two days at Tripolis, where we 
arrived in the evening, and were received into 
the Latin convent, which is delightfully situated 
among gardens and springs. The town lies 
at the efflux of the Nahr-Abu-Ali ("the holy 
river,") which, flowing from the cedar-grove at 
Lebanon, through one of the loveliest valleys 
in the world, joins the sea. Its banks are 
adorned with delightful gardens. 

On the third day, two other horses being 
provided, we commenced the ascent of the 
mountain. Plantations of mulberry trees often 
covered its sides, and we were shaded by plea- 
sant woods ; while oleander bushes indicated 
the life-giving proximity of springs of water. 
We now passed through vineyards, then nut 
trees of unusual magnitude stood by the way- 
side ; and soon we approached the charming 



* I Kings v. 18. 



LEBANON. 



341 



village of Eden, or Paradise. Being provided 
with a letter to the Sheikh, Peter, we visited 
one of the large rooms of his castle, the 
windows of which were not constructed to 
shut, and were there served with sherbet and 
coffee. He was the most powerful of all the 
Maronite Sheikhs ; and in one of the contests 
with the Druses had himself gained a con- 
siderable battle ; but, on account of the numerous 
dissensions among his allies, he had now retired, 
and in the last war contented himself with 
sending some of his people. We learned from 
him many circumstances connected with the 
Druses, as his youngest son had had a French 
monk for his tutor for some time, and therefore 
spoke the French language with great fluency. 
The meal he set before us was quite in the 
European style. The son afterwards conducted 
us to the high balcony of the house, which 
commanded a beautiful prospect. To the north, 
were gardens and groves ; to the west, wild 
ravines and enchanting valleys ; and in the 
distance, the wide waters of the sea. 

We soon took our departure, and approached 
the incomparable village of Bscherreh. Oaks, 
cypresses, pines, and plantains towered in the 
valley, which was rich in springs and water- 
falls. But we soon hurried by these wonderful 
works of nature to an elevated plain, where the 
vegetation was far less luxuriant: high trees 
were visible no more, and only grass covered 
the meadows. But suddenly a green grove 
appeared before us in the elevated distance : 
it proved to be the cedars of Lebanon. The 
steep rock rose on three sides to the height 

z 2 



LEBANOK. 



of a thousand feet ; its white surface, now 
glowing with a rosy hue. Only on the western 
side did the majestic sanctuary disclose itself ; 
and in its interior stood the venerable witnesses 
of the history of past millenniums. Nearly 
four hundred stems are still in existence ; and 
though many of them are only young shoots, 
fourteen ancient trees stand forth, one of which 
was forty feet in circumference. Their boughs 
extend horizontally, and the elastic branches 
rise in winter at the fall of the snow flakes, 
which softly descend upon them. We saw 
the cedars "with fair branches, and with a 
shadowing shroud, and of a high stature ; the 
fir trees were not like his boughs, and the 
chesnut trees were not like his branches ; nor 
any tree in the garden of God was like unto him 
in his beauty."* We stood beneath the cedars 
of Lebanon, of which David built his house 
upon Mount Zion ; and which Solomon took from 
Hiram, king of Tyre, to build God's Temple. 
He brought so many cedars to Jerusalem that 
it was said of the town, " O inhabitant of 
Lebanon that makest thy nest in the cedars ;"f 
and Zechariah cries "open thy doors, O Lebanon, 
that the fire may devour thy cedars." % 

A reverend stillness reigned around. A 
simple chapel rises beneath the shadow of the 
cedars, in which a Maronite priest officiates. 
An Abyssinian hermit, who, having reached 
these venerable trees on his pilgrimage, would 
part from them no more, has established himself 
in a cavity at the foot of one of the cedars. 



* Ezekiel xxxi. 1-8. t J er. xxii. 23. % Zech. xi. 1 



LEBANON. 



343 



Above us towered the hoary rocks, and at our 
feet streamed a little brook ; the sea alone, 
which flowed beneath us in the western distance, 
recalled to remembrance the days of the Present. 
We stood in the grove like the servants of 
Solomon three thousand years before. But the 
day of the Lord, which is upon every one that 
is proud and lofty, and upon every one that 
is lifted up, that the Lord alone should be 
exalted, has also passed over the cedars of 
Lebanon that are high and lifted up ; * and 
although woods of these majestic trees once 
covered Lebanon, they are now so " few that 
a child may write them." f We could, never- 
theless, enter into the words, " The righteous 
shall grow like a cedar in Lebanon. They 
shall still bring forth fruit in old age, they shall 
be fat and floui*ishing."J After two hours, we 
ascended the northern rock by a toilsome path, 
and stood at last upon Dschebel Makmel, the 
highest point of this ridge of Lebanon. It is 
more than seven thousand feet high, and wide 
snow-fields cover the summit. Before us rose 
Anti-Lebanon, running parallel with Lebanon ; 
and, gradually ascending from the north, to the 
highest southern peak, the snow-covered sum- 
mit of Hermon. Between Lebanon and Anti- 
Lebanon, was the large and fruitful valley of 
Bekaa, with the waters of the Leontes ; and 
immediately opposite us, at the foot of Anti- 
Lebanon, the ruins of Baalbec ; to the south, 
was the snow of the Dschebel Sunnin, the 
highest summit of Lebanon, and the mountain 

* Isaiah iL 12-15. f lb. x. 19. % Psalm xcii. 12-14. 



LEBANON. 



declined on the west, towards the waters of 
the Mediterranean Sea. Even the mid-day 
rays of the sun were insufficient to break the 
icy surface of the wintry height, until through 
thick woods we descended to the plain of 
Bekaa Cselo Syria, the deep, low, Syria of the 
ancients. We pitched our tents on the declivity 
of the mountain, in the village Deir-el-Achmar. 

On the following day, we passed across the 
valley of Bekaa, and found its breadth about 
two leagues, while it lies three thousand five 
hundred feet above the sea. The mountains 
of Lebanon and Anti-Lebanon rise five thousand 
feet above the valley. Anti-Lebanon is steeper 
and more abrupt, but not so high as the 
majestic Lebanon. Fields and villages adorn 
its feet, and these are succeeded by thick woods,, 
until at the height of a thousand feet, the steep 
rock commences, whose summit glitters with 
snow. The charming valley of Cselo- Syria is 
distinguished by its fertility. Towns and vil- 
lages adorn its sides, and its pastures and exten- 
sive corn-fields are excellent. It was the time 
of harvest, and the reapers were binding the 
yellow sheaves, while the rich owners reposed 
upon their carpets, joyfully watching the gather- 
ing up of God's blessing; and the daughter 
of a Sheikh, in gala attire, rode among the glad 
company. 

Six high pillars before us indicated the 
ruins of Baalbec, or Heliopolis, a city con- 
secrated to the honour of Baal, or Helios, the 
Sun. The little town which had considerably 
suffered in the war of the Turks against Ibrahim 
Pasha 5 made a more melancholy impression 



LEBANON. 



345 



upon us than any place of Syria we had hitherto 
seen. We found accommodation in the house 
of the Greek bishop, who devoted his best room 
to our use. We enjoyed from it a view of the 
magnificent ruins which still cause Baalbec to 
be regarded with astonishment. Upon an 
elevation lies the great citadel which properly 
contains two temples. The first, dedicated to 
the sun, is perhaps the largest temple in the 
Corinthian style still in preservation, the walls 
exist in their original beauty, and in the tem- 
ple-house are specimens of the richest decora- 
tions. 

Upon an elevation to the north, is the second 
larger temple, which appears to have been 
designed for a Pantheon, a temple for all the 
divinities. Disfigured by many later Saracenic 
buildings, only six enormous pillars remain of 
the original edifice. The plan is so large, that 
it appears never to have been completed. 
Stones of a prodigious size are found on two 
sides, in the sub-structures, three of them are 
more than sixty feet long, fifteen feet high, and 
twelve feet thick. Their size, as well as their 
various colours, mark them as belonging to an 
old structure. They apparently form a part 
of the buildings erected by Solomon in this 
neighbourhood, and may stand on the spot 
called in the scriptures Baalath.* 

We cannot wonder that the enchantment 
resting on this valley, which God has adorned 
with his loveliest gifts, allured its inhabitants 
to worship the gifts instead of the giver, and 



* 1 Kings ix. 18. 



346 



LEBANON. 



to serve the creature more than the creator, 
who is God over all blessed for ever. But 
while the sun still illuminates the charming 
valley, Baal has fallen, and the temple-ruins 
proclaim the justice of God who "will not give 
his glory to another."* 



CHAPTER IX. 



DAMASCUS. 

On the following day, we ascended, through 
pleasant valleys, to the ridge of Anti-Lebanon. 
The mountain was covered with oaks and 
bushes, and its highest elevation was about five 
thousand feet. In the evening, we reached the 
lovely village of Zebedani, on the waters of the 
Barrada ; and, on the following day, proceeded 
towards Damascus, passing through a beautiful 
rocky valley, with stately poplars, groves of 
fruitful trees, and rushing waterfalls. In ser- 
pentine windings, our path led over the bleak 
and barren mountain. Suddenly an Arabic 
grave, with arched halls, appeared before us 
on a hill, and, hastening towards it, we saw at 
our feet the plain of Gutah. 

* Isaiah, xlii. 8* 



DAMASCUS. 



347 



The circular valley lay, surrounded by desert 
mountains ; and in the midst of it flowed, in 
seven arms, the waters of the Barrada, the Abana 
and Pharpar of the scriptures * Their shores 
are adorned with gardens, fields, and groves; 
and, among the beautiful verdure, Damascus 
rises with its minarets. When Mahomet looked 
into the valley from this elevation, he would 
not venture to visit it, since one Paradise alone 
is destined for mortals, and he sought that of 
the future world. Damascus is one of the 
oldest cities in the world,f and amid the 
changes of millenniums it has remained great 
and blooming. The eye of the prophet is 
directed towards it while predicting the future 
glory of the Promised Land, f Its charms 
enrapture the oriental people, whose enthusiasm 
bestows on it the name of The Reflection of 
the Heavenly Paradise. The three celestial 
virgins had their dwelling there, and bestowed 
on it the richest gifts of abundance, beauty, 
and wisdom 

We descended into the valley, leaving the 
barren hills for the refreshing shade of the 
gardens, and for the murmuring brooks. We 
soon entered the gate, and found the streets so 
narrow and dirty, formed of mean mud houses, 
that we almost began to retract our expressions 
of admiration. A long street, more than half a 
league in extent, led us past the bazaars to the 
opposite end of the town, where we were re- 
ceived into the hotel of a Genoese. We had 
scarcely entered the low and narow house-door, 

* 2 Kings v. 12. t Gen. xv. 2. J Ezek. xlvii. 16-1! 



348 



DAMASCUS. 



and passed the first court, when a court opened 
before us paved with marble ; in the middle 
was a fountain in a marble bason overshadowed 
by orange and citron trees with their golden 
fruit ; while a row of apartments extended round 
the court, likewise adorned with fountains, and 
ornamented with most brilliant colours. The 
houses into which we were introduced, through 
the kindness of the Prussian and French con- 
suls, and which belonged to Christian and 
Jewish families, were still more magnificent. 
The decorations in gold, marble, and various 
colours were most gorgeous. Through a nar- 
row door, or a small court, you enter the 
large quadrangular hall ; one side of which is 
entirely occupied by the large room of the 
house in which visits are received. Opposite 
to this, and resting on four ornamented pillars, 
is a niche with a large divan, affording an in- 
comparable resting place towards evening. 
When the moon shines above it, softening the 
overpowering brilliancy of the decorations by 
its mild lustre, then it is, indeed, easy to under- 
stand the enthusiastic rapture of the Oriental 
when he is reminded of Damascus. Insignifi- 
cant without, — unspeakably magnificent and 
enchanting within, — such is his idea of a house. 

The ladies who received us in their residences 
were splendidly dressed in silks, and glittered 
with gold and precious stones. The hair espe- 
cially was most richly adorned, and hung in 
thin braids, in which pieces of gold were 
thickly entwined. Indeed the treasures of the 
house are kept there ; and most of the gold 
coins are therefore pierced with a small hole, 



DAMASCUS. 



349 



by means of which they are attached to the 
tresses. The women themselves presented us with 
the pipes which they had previously tried, and 
excellent coffee and lemonade were then handed 
round. Smoking is here universally practised 
by the women, who know how to use the various 
sorts of pipes with great elegance. Intellectual 
cultivation is unfortunately rare, and these out- 
ward adornments are consequently the more to 
be regretted. 

A walk through the Bazaar revealed to us the 
treasures of the East, which constantly filled us 
with new astonishment. I will not speak of the 
balsam, and the fragrant essences, which filled the 
air with their fragrance ; but the magnificent 
silks, the works in silver and gold, excited a 
desire to become a purchaser, which we could 
with difficulty restrain. The great Khan, in 
particular, filled us with surprise. Around a 
court paved with marble, and adorned with 
fountains, the shops and the stores of the 
merchants, built in a magnificent style, extended 
two stories high. The arched passages re- 
sounded with the calls of the seller and pur- 
chaser. During our walk through the town, 
we read on the countenance of many an old 
Syrian, how great must have been the persecu- 
tion formerly endured by the Christian or the 
Jew ; and could easily perceive with what dis- 
satisfaction our undisturbed proceedings were 
still received. We were obliged quickly to 
retire from the vicinity of the Mohammedan 
sanctuary ; it is the magnificent mosque which 
was formerly a church of St. J ohn, and appears 
to have been once a Roman temple. The 



S50 



DAMASCUS. 



splendour of the interior with its pillars and 
cupola arches, surpasses that of any other 
Mohammedan sanctuary. 

The dearest spot to us was the place " near 
Damascus/' where Saul, once breathing out 
threatenings and slaughter against the disciples 
of the Lord, " suddenly saw round about him 
a light from heaven, and he heard a voice saying 
unto him : Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou 
me?" With trembling and astonishment he 
heard the command of Jesus, whom he perse- 
cuted, to go into the town. The light of his 
eyes was taken away, and he was led " into the 
street that is called Straight," probably the 
large street running through the whole of 
Damascus. The disciple named Ananias came 
to him, laid his hands upon him, " and imme- 
diately there fell from his eyes, as it had been 
scales, and he received sight forthwith, and 
arose and was baptised. He was now Paul 
instead of Saul, and had become " a chosen 
vessel to the Lord."* 

The emotion with which the history of this 
conversion fills a Christian's heart, sanctified our 
intercourse in the beautiful house of the mis- 
sionary Graham, who labours among the Jews 
in conjunction with Robertson, a missionary 
lately sent out by the Free Scotch Church. 
The Jews who, perhaps, form the fortieth part 
of the population, and are about five thousand 
in number, consist, with the exception of about 
four families, of Spanish Jews. The families 
adhere to their old faith, and the missionaries 



* Acts ix. 1,24. 



DAMASCUS. 



351 



have, therefore, many difficulties to encounter. 
But Graham and his excellent wife have already 
received pledges of rich blessing. On the part 
of England there is at present only the physi- 
cian, Dr. Thomson, whose medical assistance is 
smoothing the way for the name of Protestant. 
Indeed, he has succeeded in winning, in an un- 
parelleled degree, the confidence of Mohamme- 
dans, Christians, and J ews. The christian popu- 
lation may amount to about thirty thousand ; the 
majority are under the spiritual authority of 
the Pope, and the convents of Lazaristes sedu- 
lously attend to the education of the young, for 
which a wide field is open. I will not deny 
that it was with heavy hearts we parted after 
three days from the paradisaical Damascus. 
Returning to Zebedani, we witnessed at our 
mid-day rest, the preparation of the famed 
apricot-cakes, which the natives of the East 
take as a luxury through the desert. The 
apricots, principally the smaller kind called 
Mishmish, are pressed and dried so as to form 
thin cakes in longs strips, which are then rolled 
out. Proceeding along a low pass of Anti- 
Lebanon, we reached a small town at the foot 
of the mountain, called Zachleh, which in the 
last war had received and provided for ten 
thousand Shilberless Maronites. We stayed 
with the Greek bishop, who had greatly dis- 
tinguished himself during the last conflict, and 
equalled the bishops of the middle ages for 
valour. The court of his house was full of 
armour, and his patriarchal care had acquired 
for him universal respect. 

From the valley of Zachleh, with its stately 



352 



DAMASCUS. 



poplars, we ascended to the highest summit of 
Lebanon, the Dschebel Sunnin, nine thousand 
feet above the level of the sea. We sometimes 
enjoyed on the road a wide prospect over sea 
and land, but on reaching the summit we were 
enveloped by so thick a cloud, that we could 
see nothing, and even lost our way, so that we 
were obliged to pass a bitterly cold night in a 
small Maronite convent about two thousand feet 
below, formed of miserable stone hovels. On 
the following morning, we visited a natural 
bridge at the declivity of the mountain. It con- 
sists of a rocky arch spanning the abyss between 
the mountains, while a torrent thunders below. 
Passing through an exceedingly lovely valley, 
and some cheerful villages, we again reached 
Beyrout. 



CHAPTER X. 



BEYROUT. 



Our pilgrimage through the Promised Land 
was at an end. Much as we had heard of rob- 
bery and murder, we had not been once exposed 
to danger. Often as sickness had visited the 
western pilgrims, we had even been preserved 
from indisposition. 



BEYROUT. 



353 



Time was afforded us for a retrospect upon 
this gracious guidance, since, on account of an 
alteration in the course of the steam-boats, we 
had yet to tarry three weeks in Beyrout. We 
took possession of a house outside the town, in 
the midst of a large garden of mulberry trees, 
and surrounded by a hedge of fig trees. A 
few steps from it the waters of the Mediter- 
ranean Sea foamed against steep rocks, and 
afforded us every morning a refreshing bath. 
We saw from our windows the ridge of 
Lebanon with its gardens, villages, and quiet 
convents. At different times of the day we 
heard the thunder of the cannons from the men- 
of-war ; and beneath the consular flag, the 
eagle of Prussia majestically waved over the 
town. It was a delightful time of rest for us, 
and was rendered still more agreeable by the 
kindness of the consul-general, Mr. Von Wil- 
denbruch and his wife. On each of the Sun- 
days we had service in their house after our 
home manner ; and I felt it to be a very delight- 
ful conclusion of our sojourn in the Holy Land. 
We were much indebted to the consul-general 
for his valuable communications. He has 
closely examined the political and religious 
position of the East, and has nobly mediated 
for the Turks as well as the Christians, the older 
churches as well as the Prussian Protestant Mis- 
sion ones ; and under his direction we were 
able to obtain a much more satisfactory know- 
ledge of religious affairs in Lebanon. 

The inhabitants of the mountain are divided 
into the Maronites and the Druses ; the former 
reside in the district north of Beyrout, the 



354 



BEYKOUT. 



latter in the southern territory. The Maronites 
separated, at the close of the seventh century, 
from the Universal Church, when they refused 
to recognise more than one will in Christ, 
thus acknowledging the Monothelite doctrine ; 
while the church confesses the existence of one 
will in each of the natures of Christ, the divine 
and the human. The sect being, therefore, 
solemnly condemned at Rome, removed to 
Lebanon, where they chose an abbot, John 
Maro, out of the convent of St. Maro, as their 
patriarch, and have ever since continued at 
Lebanon under the name of Maronites. At 
the time of the crusades, the Roman See en- 
deavoured to induce them again to recognise the 
supremacy of the Pope, and in this it perfectly 
succeeded towards the end of the sixteenth 
century, when the Jesuits undertook with zeal- 
ous care the education of the young. There 
are now few neighbourhoods, therefore, in 
which the Pope is more highly venerated than in 
Lebanon. Service is regularly performed in 
the Syriac language, and their scriptures are 
also written in the same tongue. The Jesuits 
have several schools, particularly the convent at 
Anturah. The Protestant missionaries have 
been hitherto unable to exert any influence, 
since the Maronites also avoid all connection 
with English or American missionaries on ac- 
count of their slender political relations with 
France. 

The Druses, a powerful mountain people, 
are adherents of the Caliph Hakem of Egypt, 
who appeared in the eleventh century as the 
reformer of the Islam creed, and founder of a new 



BEYROUT. 



355 



sect. Their doctrines have only become known 
since the last ten years, when, during the con- 
fusion and conflict, their religious books were 
seized. The great mass of the people adhere to 
the Koran ; but the few initiated, on account 
of the deficiency of their religious knowledge, 
are referred to certain questions which have 
been handed down from age to age. They are 
also introduced into the mysteries through nine 
different steps. From Adam to Hakem they 
receive seven great prophets, each of whom had 
a companion at his side. Their revelation of 
the truth has reference principally to moral 
perfection. Their assemblies are held in lonely 
houses on the summits of mountains, in which 
the highest class of initiated meet from time to 
time. Their doctrines bear a great resemblance 
to those of the Gnostics of the first century. 
Their enemies propagate the most laughable 
accounts of their opinions ; affirming, that in 
order to preserve secrecy, they conceal the 
most holy subjects connected with religion 
under the names of objects of common life. 

They are, on the whole, open to christian 
instruction, and the missionaries of the North 
American Church, finding themselves excluded 
from usefulness among the Maronites, have 
turned to the Druses. This church has had 
a station in Beyrout for more than twenty 
years ; and although its missionaries have 
experienced no very striking success, their 
efforts have not been wholly useless. Indepen- 
dently of the increase of information respecting 
the Holy Land, which the researches of these 
highlv-talented men have brought to light, and 

2a 



356 



BEYROTJT. 



besides the considerable influence they hav6 
exercised upon the Catholic and Greek churches, 
by stimulating them to more earnest exertion, 
they have scattered seed abroad by means of 
their schools, (particularly for the girls, who 
were before much neglected,) which will, doubt- 
less, some day produce a glorious harvest. 
They have established a printing press in Bey- 
rout, by means of which numerous Arabic 
works have been circulated among the people, 
and have also erected stations among the Druses 
in the mountain. We paid a visit to Abey, 
where we found the missionaries, Thomson and 
Whiting, with the physician Dr. Van Dyk; 
and upon [he station Bhamdun we made the 
acquaintance of the missionary Kalbun, and 
Dr. Forest, with his active wife. The spirit of 
christian love animating this company deeply 
affected us, and we enjoyed with them some 
hours of communion never to be forgotten. A 
stop had been put to missionary activity by the 
fearful conflict between the Druses and the 
Maronites. 

Whole districts were laid waste, — and we 
passed through several villages, which had been 
so reduced to ruins by the consuming flames 
that not one inhabitant was left, and the neigh- 
bouring convents, where Druses and Maronites 
had associated, and even lived together, were 
destroyed by fire. We visited the convent 
Deir-el-Khulah, situated in a lovely spot, but 
utterly ruined. The church had been a special 
point of attack, the pictures of Christ and the 
saints were torn in pieces, and a priest wringing 
his hands wandered about the scene of destruc- 



BEYR0TJT. 



357 



tion, which was now under the protection of a 
small Turkish garrison. The ground of the 
contest was rather political than religious ; and 
the blame unfortunately lies not exclusively 
with the Druses ; as the Maronites, who are 
more numerous by far, would incontestibly 
have been the victors had they not weakened 
themselves by party dissensions, many of them 
preferring union with the Druses than with 
their christian brethren. While upon the first 
glance it appears as if the curse had vanished 
from the Maronite part of Lebanon, the only 
portion of the Promised Land, entirely inhabited 
by Christians, these wars and rumours of wars 
still indicate the continuance of God's judg- 
ments there. 

Let us look once more at the position of 
Syria. The Promised Land, the theatre of the 
mightiest events that have transpired upon our 
globe, has only an extension of thirty leagues 
in length, and fifteen in breadth, and its area is, 
therefore, about four hundred and sixty square 
miles, equal to our province of Saxony. Placed 
in the midst of the heathen, between the 
three great divisions of the old world, it was 
yet enclosed by the wilderness on the south and 
west, by Lebanon on the north, and by the 
Mediterranean on the west ; so that the people 
could live to God in stillness and retirement. 
And it was " a land of brooks of water, of 
fountains and depths that spring out of valleys 
and hills, a land with lack of nothing."* With 
a wonderful combination of climates it unites 

* Dent. viii. 7, 9. 

2 a 2 



358 



BEYR0UT. 



tlie advantages and the productions of various 
regions ; and the elevation of the land moderates 
the heat caused by its southern position. 
The lovely hills, whose varied forms beautify 
the country, increase its uncommon fertility 
and afford room for a considerable population. 
Thus the Lord says : " I brought you into 
a plentiful country, to eat the fruit thereof, 
and the goodness thereof."* Alas! it was 
soon added: " but when ye entered, ye 
defiled my land, and made mine heritage an 
abomination." " The earth mourneth and 
fadeth away, it is defiled under the inhabitants 
thereof. Therefore hath the curse devoured the 
earth." f " They shall lament for the pleasant 
fields, for the fruitful vine. Upon the land of 
my people shall come up thorns and briars. 
The palaces shall be forsaken, the forts and 
towers shall be for dens for ever." J We found 
the ruins of the towns indeed the habitation 
of the beasts of the field. " The highways 
lie waste, the wayfaring man ceaseth."§ 
There are no roads in the Holy Land upon 
which carriages can run; but the principal 
roads like those which lead from Jerusalem to 
Jaffa, or to Damascus, are so stony that the 
horses with difficulty and danger traverse them. 
t€ Destruction upon destruction is cried, for the 
whole land is spoiled. The spoilers are come 
upon all high places through the wilderness ; 
no flesh shall have peace : robbers shall enter 
into it and defile it."|| The hordes of Bedouins 



* Jer.ii.7. t Isaiah xxiv. 4, 8. J lb. xxxii. 12, 14. 
§ Ib.xxxiii. 8. || Jer.iv.20; xiL 12. Ezek. vii. 22. 



BEYROUT. 



359 



carry robbery and murder through it, especially 
at the time of harvest, causing the dispirited 
inhabitants at last to give up sowing seed. 
" Shepherds have destroyed my vineyards and 
trodden down my fields. There shall the lambs 
feed after their manner, and the waste-places of 
the fat ones shall strangers eat." * The luxu- 
riant fields are now turned into pastures. 
u Thus saith the Lord of the inhabitants ; they 
shall eat their bread with carefulness, and drink 
their water with astonishment." f u So that 
the generation to come of your children, and 
the stranger that shall come from a far land, 
shall say when they see the plagues of that 
land — Wherefore hath the Lord done thus unto 
the land ? Then men shall say, Because they 
have forsaken the covenant of the Lord God of 
their fathers." J 

" At that day it shall come to pass that the 
glory of J acob shall be made thin as when the 
harvestman gathereth the corn, and reapeth the 
ears with his arms ; as the shaking of an olive 
tree, two or three berries in the top of the 
uppermost bough." " The daughter of Zion is 
left as a cottage in a vineyard, as a lodge in a 
garden of cucumbers, as a besieged city." 
" The Lord will remove men far away, that 
there be a great forsaking in the midst of the 
land. But yet in it shall be a tenth, the holy 
seed shall be the substance thereof." § Yes, the 
fruitfulness of the mountains of Israel, which in 
some parts again exhibit great beauty, shows 



* Isaiah v. 17. f Ezek. xii. 19. i Deut. xxix. 21, 16. 
§ Isaiah xvii. 4, 6 ; i. 8 ; vi. 11, 13. 



360 



BEYROTJT. 



that this time of desolation is the celebration of 
the Sabbath for the land, which the Lord com- 
manded. ce Then shall the land enjoy her Sab- 
baths as long as it lieth desolate, and ye be in 
your enemies' land." * Since the people of 
Israel were driven out of the Holy Land it has 
never exhibited its ancient fertility, and often 
as its rulers have changed, it has never 
acknowledged their right of possession. It 
observes its Sabbath. 

But we know ec Thy destroyers and they 
that made thee waste shall go forth of thee. 
Thus saith the Lord, Behold I will set up my 
standard to the people, and they shall bring thy 
sons in their arms, and thy daughters shall be 
carried upon their shoulders. And kings shall 
be thy nursing fathers, and queens thy nursing 
mothers." f When the eye turns from the 
whole of Europe to this little country, and sees 
that its weal is dear to the hearts of the mightiest 
princes, may we not, according to God's word, 
expect that still more will be done for Zion 
than has been hitherto accomplished ? tfC They 
shall build the old wastes, they shall raise up 
the former desolations. Strangers shall stand 
and feed your flocks, and the sons of the alien 
shall be your ploughmen and your vine- 
dressers." J 66 The mountains shall drop sweet 
wine, and all the hills shall melt. For I will 
plant my people Israel upon their own land, 
and they shall no more be pulled up out of this 
land which I have given them saith the Lord 



* Leviticus xx vi. 14, 15. t Isaiah xlix. 17, 11 3 13. 
% Isaiah Ixi. 4, 5. 



BEYROUT. 



361 



thy God." * " They shall ^ay, this land that 
was desolate is Id e come like the garden of Eden; 
and they shall know that I the Lord build the 
ruined places, and plant that that was desolate. 
I the Lord have spoken it, and will do it." f 

* Amos ix. 13, 15. f Ezekiel xxxyL 34, 36. 



PART V!. 

THE RETURN HOME, 



CHAPTER I. 
SMYRNA. 

On the evening of the thirteenth of July, 
Ave embarked on board the Mahmoiidie, the 
same steam-boat of the Austrian Lloyd that 
had conveyed us from Trieste to Syria. We 
soon weighed anchor, and saw the mountains of 
the Promised Land illuminated by a glorious 
sunset, and Lebanon's summit gilded with its 
rays. Our hearts were full of the never-to-be- 
forgotten events that had transpired from the 
day of our landing at Alexandria, and from the 
Palm Sunday in Beersheba. As we retired 
farther and farther from the shore, the faint 
outlines of the heights of Lebanon alone 
remaining, while the darkness of the night 
gradually enveloped us, I was filled with in- 
expressible emotions of sorrow. I, too, was 
about to remember Jerusalem' in a distant land ! 
How different the experiences awaiting us in 
the heavenly Canaan, where there will be, 
indeed, an entrance, but no departure ! 

Our company consisted of some English and 



SMYRNA, 



363 



French travellers, whose acquaintance we had 
previously made, and of more than a hundred 
Easterns, who occupied the greater part of the 
deck. The next morning, the Isle of Cyprus, 
or Chittim, lay before us* Barren mountains 
rising from the coast showed us how the fertility 
of this renowned island is diminished. It was 
the birth-place of Barnabas, who sold his land, 
and laid the money at the apostles' feet.f Paul 
went through the whole island from Salamis to 
Paphos,J where a hundred altars once smoked 
in honour of the goddess Venus, and where 
only a few miserable houses now remain. Here, 
too, he found the false prophet Elymas, who, at 
his word, was struck with blindness. We cast 
anchor opposite the towTL of Larnaca, but did 
not venture to leave the vessel, since, as coming 
from Syria, we were in a state of quarantine. 

This also prevented us from landing on the 
third morning in the island of Rhodes. We 
anchored in the fine harbour, over the entrance 
of which the celebrated colossus once stood. 
Even its ruins were carried away by hundreds 
of camels. The fortifications still call to remem- 
brance the order of the knights of St. John, 
which attained its highest development here ; 
and the knight's road, with the former church 
of St. John, bear abundant testimony to the 
splendour of the epoch. The island is distin- 
guished for its fertility and for its agreeable 
climate. 

On the following day, we again entered the 
charming Archipelago with its islands projecting 



* Jer. ii. 10. f Actsiv. 36, 37. X Ib.xiii. 5, 6. 



364 



SMYRNA, 



like mountains from the blue waters. The 
dazzling white houses of Patmos soon appeared 
before us, adorning the summit of a mountain ; 
while a second higher summit was crowned by 
the convent of St. John. " John was in the 
isle that is called Patmos, for the word of God, 
and for the testimony of Jesus Christ." * He 
was banished thither by the Emperor Domitian ; 
and gazing from his magnificent watch-tower 
upon the dwellings of men at his feet, upon 
the whole extent of the island, and upon the 
foaming waves, the prophetic eye of the Evan- 
gelist looked upon the history of centuries. 
How much of that which the Lord revealed to 
him in the spirit, was now suddenly presented 
to us in an entirely novel aspect ! How did 
the animating words of the Saviour concerning 
the eternal joy within the walls of the New 
Jerusalem inflame our hearts ! 

We soon appeared before Samos, with its 
rich vineyards, Icaria, and Chios the most 
blooming island of the Levant. We recognised 
Mitylene in Lesbos by the light of the stars, 
and on the morning of the eighteenth of J uly, 
anchored in the harbour of Smyrna. The 
town bore a cheerful appearance, overshadowed 
by the cypress groves of the Mohammedan 
churchyard ; but owing to the desolation occa- 
sioned by the late fire we were not able to dis- 
tinguish much. The appearance of the town 
was entirely European, but attractive as it was 
to us, we were obliged to enter upon a quaran- 
tine of fourteen days. We were taken with 



* Rev. i. 9. 



SMYRNA. 



365 



a hundred and fifty Greeks and Turks to a 
small and dirty house some way from the town, 
but preferred erecting our tent in the shadeless 
court of the Lazaretto. The heat was un- 
usually oppressive j and the thermometer often 
more than thirty degrees in the shade. Wf 
also found no little difficulty in confining our- 
selves to the narrow limits of the court. We 
soon became acquainted with our companions 
in suffering ; and were often visited by a distin- 
guished Syrian from Damascus, named Suliman 
Effendi, who is every year the leader of the 
great pilgrim caravan to Mecca with the pre- 
sents of the Sultan. Our books and maps 
greatly interested him, and we one day showed 
him a copy of the Koran, which we had brought 
from Cairo. He instantly repeated a prayer, 
kissed the book, read a portion with deep devo- 
tion, prayed again, and laid the book aside. 
How this respect for the Koran should fill us 
with shame, when we compare it with the way 
in which we use the Bible ! Every evening, 
too, the majority of the Mohammedans publicly 
assembled for united prayer. How strange 
would it be considered among us if a travelling 
company celebrated evening devotion in an open 
place ! 

Tn our quiet tent we thought of the past history 
of Smyrna. Homer's enchanting strains once 
more seemed to sound in our ears, as in the 
days of youthful enthusiasm ; and we saw in 
spirit the faithful bishop Polycarp, the disciple 
of St. John, sealing his love to his Lord in the 
flames of the funeral pile, beneath the drawn 
sword. Our eyes wandered towards the seven 



366 



SMYRNA. 



churches to which the Lord addressed the 
epistles in the Revelation. Pergamos,* which 
had held fast the name of the Lord, and had 
not denied his faith, was exhorted to repent 
on account of those who held the doctrine 
which the Lord hated. A small christian 
church is still in a flourishing condition at 
Pergamos. And still larger is the church at 
Thyatira,f to whom the command was given, 
" That which ye have already, hold fast till I 
come." Sardis, the capital of Lyclia. in which 
the riches of Croesus were once proverbial, was 
thus reproved, " I know thy works ; thou hast 
a name that thou livest, and art dead." £ The 
Lord's warnings were not heard : splendid 
pillars bear witness to former magnificence ; but 
only a few isolated christians remain, and poor 
shepherds feed their flocks among the ruins 
of Sardis. Philadelphia, on the contrary, 
received the promise, " Because thou hast kept 
the word of my patience, I also will keep thee 
from the hour of temptation that shall come 
upon all the world." § And in the midst of the 
Mohammedans a considerable christian church 
is still preserved in the town Allah Shehr. Of 
Laodicea it is said, " I know thy works, that 
thou art neither cold nor hot, so then because 
thou art lukewarm, I will spue thee out of my 
mouth." || This church received only blame; 
and the once glorious town is now become a 
place for wild beasts. The Lord said to Ephesus, 
" I have somewhat against thee, because thou 



* Rev. ii. 12, 17. t Rev. ii. 18, 29. J Rev. iii. 1, 6. 
§ Rev. iii. 7, 13. || Rev. iii. 14, 22. 



SMYRNA. 



367 



hast left thy first love. Repent, or else I will 
come unto thee quickly, and I will remove thy 
candlestick out of his place."* The numerous 
ruins covering the site of Ephesus, and the 
few Turcomans who inhabit them, show that 
the candlestick is removed. 

To Smyrna the w r ords were addressed, "Fear 
none of those things which thou shalt suffer, 
be thou faithful unto death, and I will give 
thee a crown of life."f And we ourselves saw, 
at the expiration of the time of quarantine, 
that it has remained rich and considerable^ 
with a large congregation of Christians. True, 
much " tribulation " has come upon it, a fiery 
heat has often consumed it, and we now walked 
among heaps of ruins which have buried many 
houses of the christians particularly, but it 
has been always quickly re-built, and is one 
of the first commercial places in the Turkish 
empire, besides being renowned for its excellent 
fruits. The fine bazaar, richly furnished with 
the products of the eastern and the western 
world, the clean streets, and the beautiful 
architecture of the houses, announced its 
proximity to Europe. 

The slight veiling of the Mohammedan women 
also shewed the influence of the Europeans; 
while throughout Syria the heads of the women 
are concealed by a dark cloth, so that it is 
difficult to understand how any light can reach 
them ; and while in Egypt the dark eyes alone 
are visible through small openings, in the veil, 
in Smyrna and Constantinople the transparent 



* Rev. ii. 1, 7. f Rev. ii. 8, 11. 



868 



SMYRNA. 



veils serve almost more for ornament than for 
concealment. The most curious head-covering 
we saw was in Lebanon. A silver ornament, 
nearly two feet long, was bound round the head, 
and over this a wild veil was thrown. The head- 
dress gives great pain, and it is so difficult to 
remove, that the women often wear it for a long 
time without attempting to take it oiF. We 
are, perhaps, not unaptly reminded of the 
" power" which, according to the apostle Paul, 
the woman ought to have upon her head. 

On the same day that we were freed from 
the narrow court of our Lazaretto, we embarked, 
on the first of August, in the Austrian steam- 
boat, the Crescent, where we found almost the 
same company with whom we had travelled 
from Beyrout. We looked once more upon 
the hills of Smyrna, upon the cheerful houses 
between the cypress groves and orange gardens ; 
before us lay the charming bay, compared to 
that of Naples, but surpassed by its greener 
hills, and its smoking Vesuvius. With joyous 
gratitude we looked upon the empty Lazaretto, 
and towards evening the anchor was weighed. 
The next morning we were before Lesbos and 
Mitylene, with its fertile mountains. It is 
one of the largest islands of the Archipelago, 
and the home of Alcseus and of Sappho, whose 
lovely songs were heard there. The remem- 
brance of her prepared us for the day when 
we should behold the celebrated city to which 
our youthful enthusiasm had often transported 
us. In the distance appeared the summit of 
Samothrace, indicating the mysteries once kej3t 
on this island; but soon the hoary peak of 



SMYRNA. 



369 



Ida rose before us, and at its feet lay the plains 
of Troy, through which the Scamandros flowed 
to the sea. We soon perceived, not far from 
the shore, the two grave mounds of Achilles 
and Patroclus ; while the fortress of Priam stood 
upon a neighbouring hill. We felt ourselves 
quite at home, as if as boys we had really been 
led there by our enthusiastic love for Homer's 
songs, for the courageous warrior Hector, and 
for Achilles, the son of the goddess. And yet 
another image was presented to our minds, for 
it was at Troas that Paul spoke till midnight ; 
and that the youth, named Eutychus, who fell 
down from the third story, was, at the apostle's 
word, taken up alive.* 

The coasts of Europe and Asia approached 
nearer one another, and, passing between the 
two mountain fortresses of the Dardanelles, 
we found ourselves in the Hellespont. The 
rocks on the side of Europe are steep and bare, 
while the coast of Asia is adorned with fields, 
and charming groves and gardens, surmounted 
by the lofty Ida. Lesbos and Abydos once 
stood upon the spot where the shores approach 
the nearest ; and near the neighbouring neck of 
land, Xerxes erected his bridge of boats ; it 
was here, too, that Alexander's army afterwards 
crossed to Asia. A little farther, are Gallipoli 
and Lampsaci, formerly Callipolis and Lamp- 
sacus, one upon the side of Europe, the other 
upon that of Asia. They have, in the course 
of time, changed their position ; for while that 
of the one has sunk, the other is greatly elevated, 



* Acts xx. Q y 12. 



370 



SMYRNA. 



and extends to the summit of a rock, surrounded 
by green cypresses. The next morning, the 
third of August, found us in the Sea of Marmora. 
Our ship had taken in a new cargo, consisting 
of thirty -two female slaves, who had been 
brought from the neighbourhood of Mecca, 
out of the market to the capital ; they had, in 
the first place, cost from ten to fourteen thalers, 
but were now expected to fetch a higher price. 
They lay upon the deck, in the fore part of the 
ship, covered with white woollen cloths. One 
of them having died in the night was thrown 
overboard, and appeared to be already quite 
forgotten. What a traffic with human beings, 
for whom our Lord died on Golgotha ! It was 
long before the feeling of righteous indignation 
excited within our breasts permitted us to 
enjoy the charming scenery around. 



CHAPTER II. 



CONSTANTINOPLE. 



At last the hills of Europe and of Asia 
approached each other nearer still, until, at the 
point of their complete union, minarets and a 
mass of houses were discernible. The closer 
we approached towards Stambul, the more 



CONSTANTINOPLE. 



371 



brilliant was its appearance, and indeed it pre- 
sented an aspect of majesty and sublimity, 
far surpassing that of any other city. The 
dazzling white mosques glittered with their 
palm-like minarets, their noble domes, and 
their radiant crescents ; while the roofs of the 
numerous houses beneath were tinted with 
a rosy hue, and overshadowed by the dark 
green of stately cypresses ; all enclosed by the 
blue arch of heaven, reflected in the waters of the 
sea. But from all this splendour our eyes turned 
towards the great cupola of the Aja Sophia, on 
which the cross has been displaced by an 
enormous crescent, and feelings of the deepest 
melancholy took possession of our hearts. 

Passing the Palace of the Seraglio, we turned 
into the Golden Horn, the arm of the sea, 
which, on the side of Europe, separates the 
mighty Stambul from Topchana, Galata, and 
Pera, the town of the Franks ; while upon 
the coast of Asia Scutari appeared, with its 
extensive barracks, and the cypress grove of 
its large cemetery. We cast anchor between 
the numerous ships that surrounded us, of 
manifold forms and sizes, from the largest vessel 
of the line to the smallest boat. Incalculable 
is the mass of houses extending along the seven 
hills. The appearance of the town has been 
compared to that of Naples, but all idea of 
such a comparison vanishes in gazing on the 
hills of Stambul. 

Brought to shore in a light boat, I hastened 
through Galata to Pera. We found accommo- 
dation near a cypress grove in a splendid and 
I most comfortable hotel ; and upon European 
soil, again experienced the pleasantness of 

2 B 



CONSTANTINOPLE. 



home arrangements. It was Sunday evening, 
and the sun's last rays fell on the cypress grove. 
In walking before our house we met numbers 
of people all in the Frank costume ; and from 
a concert which was being held, resounded 
strains of our native melody. It was like a dream 
to us. We mingled with the restless multitude, 
and then a sad melancholy came over us, home- 
sickness for the quiet peaceful East. A home- 
sickness that has never left my breast ! 

We soon passed from Pera, which alone 
numbers two hundred thousand inhabitants, to 
the real Stambul, the capital of the east, con- 
taining a population of seven hundred thousand 
persons. The appearance of the houses scarcely 
reminded us of an oriental city ; and among 
the multitude of Turks, it was with difficulty 
we could find one who was still adorned with 
the beautiful old oriental dress. With the 
exception of the turban, or the red cap, the 
costume is quite European. We walked through 
the bazaar, which is distinguished from any 
other by its magnificently vaulted halls, the 
abundance and richness of its goods, and par- 
ticularly by the silk stuffs embroidered with 
gold, and the delicate work of the goldsmiths. 
At last we entered the slave bazaar. A large 
quadrangular court was surrounded by one- 
storied houses, in which the poor slaves were 
kept; raised divans are placed before the rooms, 
upon which the sellers sit, and here the pur- 
chasers of the slaves are led, in order to examine 
them as they would do merchandize. Dreadful 
as such a trade is, we must, however, add that 
the Koran enjoins excellent treatment of the 
slaves, and the Turks even make it a point of 



CONSTANTINOPLE. 



373 



honour. There is also a law empowering the 
slaves to compel their masters to re-sell them ; 
and after a seven years' servitude they are 
entirely free ; but generally remain in the house 
of their master. Although they may there find 
better treatment than many servants in other 
parts of Europe, such a market, nevertheless, 
makes an unspeakably sad impression. 

We soon received permission to join a party, 
who had obtained a firman to visit the mosques ; 
and were first led to the Seraglio, or palace of 
the Sultan. It is about a league in circum- 
ference, and may therefore be called a little 
town. The magnificent chambers were, how- 
ever, thrown into the shade by those we had 
already seen in Damascus, but the prospect of 
the Sea of Marmora and the palaces of the 
Bosphorus was most beautiful. 

We then proceeded to the Aja Sophia. On 
this spot Constantine built a church to Wisdom ; 
and Chrysostom here proclaimed God's word. 
After several conflagrations, Justinian erected 
the present building in 538 ; exclaiming, after 
its completion, " I have vanquished thee, O 
Solomon ! " We entered it, and never did a 
church produce such an impression on my 
mind. Two hundred and seventy feet in length, 
its form is that of the Greek cross. Above it, 
at the height of a hundred and eighty feet, rises 
the gigantic cupola, which is a hundred and 
fifteen feet in diameter, and scarcely twenty 
feet in height. Wide galleries, themselves like 
great churches, are attached to the sides. The 
magnificent pillars are standing there, which 
supported the temples of the heathens ; there 
are eight green serpentine columns from the 



874 



CONSTANTINOPLE. 



temple of Diana at Ephesus ; eight of por- 
phyry from the temple of the sun at Baalbec ; 
and others of white marble, from the temple 
of the Sibyl at Cyzicus. The winged seraphims 
still stand on the four corners of the vault, 
looking down from the eminence ; but the gold 
mosaic of the roof is almost covered with chalk, 
in order to bear sentences from the Koran. 
The high altar has vanished ; and a Mihrab 
shows the direction of Mecca. Mahomet the 
second, passed triumphantly into the christian 
church four hundred years ago, with the cry, 
" There is but one God, and Mahomet is his 
prophet." Every word of the false prophet 
that has since resounded through these holy 
walls, is an accusation against the christians, 
who have permitted the desecration of their 
Lord's sanctuary. 

All the other large mosques of Stambul are 
only imitations of the Aja Sophia ; and the 
magnificent Suleimanijeh, with its numerous 
benevolent institutions, is the master-piece of 
Saracenic architecture. The mosque Achmed- 
ijeh, from which the Mecca caravan annually 
departs, lies directly on the beautiful Hippo- 
drom, the theatre of the festival performances 
of the Byzantine emperors. Of the rich 
artistic treasures of antiquity once deposited 
here, nothing remains but an Egyptian obelisk, 
and a triple serpent ornament, which formerly 
supported the tripod of the Delphic oracle. 
But I can scarcely allow myself to enumerate 
the various objects in the city worthy of 
remark : the blasted pillar, once the celebrated 
pillar of Constantine ; the enormous cistern ; 
the ruins of the triple wall, extending along 



CONSTANTINOPLE. 



375 



the southern and western sides of the town ; 
and the magnificent monuments of the sultans. 
We also ascended the tower of the Seraskiers ; 
and, from this elevation, the traces of decay, 
evident in the town, entirely disappear. 

On our return to Pera and Galata, we lingered 
in the convent of the dancing Dervishes. Here 
the Dervishes, or monks of Islam, hold their 
solemn dance, in long white garments,with conical 
white felt hats, twice every week. With great de- 
votion and raised hands, they turn, round and 
round, and then in a wide circle about their 
Sheikh, who, standing in the middle, guides 
them by the tones of his flute. They begin 
slowly, and gradually increase the velocity of 
their evolutions. It is an old traditional 
service, and is also found among the Indians. 
It is intended to represent the motions of the 
stars round the sun, to which the ancients 
paid divine adoration. 

If this exhibition obtained, by its solemn 
earnestness, some power over the minds of 
spectators, that of the howling Dervishes filled 
us with horror and pity. We were conducted 
to Scutari, and in a small room, the walls of 
which were hung with marble instruments for 
self-torture, we found about twenty Dervishes, 
with a wild and fanatical appearance, united 
in prayer. They soon arose, threw off a part 
of their clothing, and, bending, gave one another 
the hand, and moving sometimes to one side 
and sometimes forwards, they pronounced a 
prayer, which they continued to shriek out 
with a wild and increasing rapidity until 
nothing but a terrible " Hu ! Hu ! " could be 
distinguished. 



378 



CONSTANTINOPLE. 



From this melancholy spectacle we hastened 
to the waters of the Bosphorus, by which 
Scutari is washed, and entering a light boat, 
traversed the beautiful strait, to which no 
shore and no stream is to be compared. 
From the sea of Marmora to the Black Sea, 
are a succession of towns and palaces. Cypresses 
and plantains, rose and orange gardens, in lux- 
uriance and freshness, surround the mosques 
and palaces, which though considerably decayed 
still glitter with the splendour of their marble. 
It was Friday, and the thunder of the cannons 
resounded across the waves, whilst the sultan 
approached in a gilded vessel to attend his 
weekly service in the mosque. His countenance 
told us that he had seized the reins of govern- 
ment in the days of youthful energy, and 
was endeavouring to supply new vigour to the 
declining kingdom. Arriving at the sweet 
waters of Asia, we found that the women of 
Stambul, though surrounded by a suspicious 
guard, were yet enjoying, on the Friday at least, 
the appearance of freedom. We soon came 
in sight of the charming gardens of Therapia; 
and before us lay Bujukdere, the summer 
residence of the diplomatists. Here, in the 
palace of our ambassador, M. Von Le Coq, we 
found so exceedingly kind a reception, that 
the days spent in Bujukdere made a deep im- 
pression on our hearts, and deserve our most 
sincere gratitude. We were afterwards con- 
ducted to the rocks of the Black Sea, and most 
beautiful was the appearance of the evening 
lamps on the shores of the Bosphorus. 

In order to look once more upon the glories 
of Stambul, we ascended the pleasant elevation 



CONSTANTINPOLE. 



377 



called Bulgurlu, immediately behind Scutari, 
from which we enjoyed an enchanting view 
of Constantinople, of the Sea of Marmora, 
and of the Bosphorus. Gazing upon the scene 
in silent wonder, we thought of the history of 
those hills. The town was raised by Constan- 
tino., the first christian emperor, to occupy the 
position for which nature had destined her, — * 
that of the capital of the world. When the 
affairs of the christian church became the sub- 
jects the most holy in the eyes of the rulers, 
and most important in those of the people, the 
decision on all contested points was given at 
Constantinople. At Nice, on the Asiatic coast 
of the sea of Marmora, the first general eccle- 
siastical council was held in 325, when the 
doctrine of the Trinity was fully acknowledged ; 
while that of Christ, the God-man, as one per- 
son in two natures, was maintained by the 
council of Chalcedon, near Scutari, in 451. 
The seventh and last ecclesiastical assembly was 
held at Nice, in 787; and then the eastern world 
began to sink into cold and external forms, 
beneath the influence of political and hierarchi- 
cal despotism. Losing the vital power of faith, 
the church, in 1453, became the slave of Islam; 
and now it stands as a warning example of 
divine justice to all the christian churches of 
the present day. Beneath the oppressions of the 
enemy of the cross, she began too late to lament 
her downfall. Should the hand of God be 
again outstretched against the crescent, may 
she seek her strength in the Lord, and conquer 
by the world- vanquishing power of the Gospel ! 



CHAPTEE III. 



THE MISSIONS AT CONSTANTINOPLE. 

There is not, perhaps, at the present moment, 
so interesting a place to be found with regard 
to ecclesiastic matters as Constantinople. 

The Armenian Church presents, by far, the 
most encouraging aspect at present. Like the 
Coptic sect, it separated at the beginning of the 
sixth century from the Universal Church, on 
account of the monophysite doctrine. It chose 
its own Catholicus, who, since the year 1441, 
has had his seat at Etchmiazin, near Erivan. 
The service is like that of the Greek church, 
except that the Armenian language is employed. 
Excited by much oppression in the Father-land, 
the Armenians have particularly directed their 
attention to commerce, and are, therefore, scat- 
tered throughout the East. In the Turkish 
empire especially, trade is in their hands; 
and by the money transactions in which they 
are particularly employed, (the Jews being too 
much despised to be allowed a share in them,) 
they often acquire considerable influence. They 
are distinguished for refinement of manners, 
and- their religious knowledge is sounder, and 
their lives more active, than those of the other 
Eastern Christians. But they are, nevertheless, 
benumbed by outward forms ; the holy scrip- 
tures in the old Armenian language are incom- 
prehensible, and almost strange to them, and 
yet they testify a desire to be freed from their 
feebleness. In Constantinople 3 where they 



THE MISSIONS AT CONSTANTINOPLE. 379 

number a hundred and fifty thousand, the larger 
christian churches unite in this desire. The 
Russian Greek Church seeks to establish its 
historical claim, in order to increase its party in 
the Turkish Empire. This has been in some 
measure accomplished since 1828, when the 
residence of the Catholicus, who is in close 
union with this church, was fixed in the Rus- 
sian Empire. According to an enactment of 
the Patriarch of Constantinople, the admission 
of the Catholicus into the prayers of the 
Armenians has been accomplished ; and in the 
dress of the clergy an approximation is sought 
to that of the Russian church. This desire of 
assimilation principally emanates, however, from 
the higher clergy, and the more influential 
Armenians ; while the people are steadily op- 
posed to the Greek Church. 

The Romish Church has made many efforts 
for the purpose of inducing the Armenians to 
acknowledge the Pope, and with various success. 
The Armenian convent of St. Lazaro, in Venice, 
has exercised considerable influence, for it con- 
tains several men distinguished for learning, who 
possess an excellent printing press, and have 
greatly enriched church history by their trans- 
lations, so that the number of Armenians in 
Constantinople has recently much increased. 

The most important operations, however, 
are those of the North American Presbyterian 
Missionary Society, It has for many years 
been active among the Armenians, and by 
God's grace, has there effected more than in any 
other missionary field in the East. We had the 
delight of making the acquaintance of the mis- 
sionaries Dwight, Goodell, and Homes, in Con- 



880 THE MISSIONS AT CONSTANTINOPLE. 

stantinople ; of Wood and Hamlin at Bebeck 
on the Bosphorus ; and of Biggs and Adger in 
Smyrna. They have, above all, completed a 
comprehensible translation of the New Testa- 
ment for the people ; and when we were in 
Smyrna we found the missionaries employed at 
the five books of Moses. Services are held 
every Sunday, in Constantinople, in the Turkish 
as well as the Armenian language. They are 
also editing a journal, which not only contains 
religious instruction, but also useful information 
of various kinds. Several books have been 
printed ; and among them the Sermon on the 
Future Judgement by Monod, of Montauban, 
and Merle D'Aubigne's work on the Reforma- 
tion. The missionaries are assisted in these 
translations by four natives. They are so much 
read, that a great opposition in printing has 
arisen, which is something quite new in the 
East. The antagonists of the missionaries are 
strongly supported by the Jesuits and the press 
of St. Lazaro, so that an active life is animating 
the benumbed church. A seminary is esta- 
blished at Bebeck, in which more than thirty 
Armenians are being trained as missionary 
assistants. But a violent opposition has already 
arisen in many places against this reformation 
movement, and many faithful confessors of the 
gospel have suffered as martyrs. Under such 
circumstances it is to be expected that the 
Evangelical Armenians will soon be entirely 
ejected from their church ; and if the other 
European powers are then able, successfully to 
mediate for them with the Porte, they will 
become the first Protestant subjects of Turkey. 
All the Protestants who have hitherto resided 



THE MISSIONS AT CONSTANTINOPLE. 881 



in that country having been foreigners, and 
consequently under the protection of foreign 
Powers, have been merely tolerated. The 
other christians now sustain civil relations under 
their spiritual heads ; but as no such political im- 
portance has yet been accorded to the bishop of 
J erusalem, a secession to the Protestant church 
has been at the same time an ejection from the 
civil privileges of Turkey. If these Armenians, 
therefore, were recognised as Protestants, an 
entrance into our church would be allowed just 
as it has hitherto been from the Greek to the 
Romish, or the reverse. The greatest impedi- 
ment in the way of the Jerusalem bishopric 
would then be removed, and a glorious prospect 
would be opened up to the Evangelical Church 
in the East. Thus the position of these Evan- 
gelical Armenians calls for the most zealous 
sympathy, and the most earnest prayers of all 
the Protestant countries. If the Armenian 
Missionary Society has not yet seen the hoped 
for result of its labours in Greece and in the 
Holy Land, it is here receiving the richest 
blessing on its earnest exertions. And he to 
whom it is permitted to linger awhile among 
the men distinguished alike by superior intellec- 
tual acquirements, and by living piety, will feel 
assured by the spirit of fervent love uniting them 
to one another, that the Lord is in their midst. 

The same Society has also undertaken a 
mission among the Jews. There are about 
eighty thousand in Constantinople alone, most 
of them belonging to the Spanish race. Al- 
though the Armenians have established the 
honourable principle of employing no stranger 
in their mission, they have here made an excep- 



382 THE MISSIONS AT CONSTANTINOPLE. 



tion in favour of SchaufHer, from Wurtemburg. 
At first he found no access among the Spanish 
Jews. He, nevertheless, translated the Old 
Testament into the Spanish Hebraic, bringing 
the neglected language to greater perfection. 
After the translation had lain long unused, 
many thousand copies of it were purchased in 
a short time ; the Rabbis even recommended its 
use, and a second edition is being prepared. 
Schauffler is besides busily occupied in the 
composition of school books, as a school for 
Spanish Jews is soon to be opened, and they 
have promised that their children shall attend 
it. These events are still more encouraging 
from the fact that, the Spanish Jews have 
hitherto obstructed all similar attempts. 

This man of uncommon gifts and great faith 
has also been most zealous among the German 
Jews, although he has now resigned this de- 
partment of labour to Allan, the minister of the 
Free Scotch Church. "While the latter is 
acquiring a familiarity with the German lan- 
guage, he is assisted by the candidate Konig 
from Danzig, a dear fellow-countrymen to 
whom we owe our heartfelt thanks for the many 
proofs of self-sacrificing love which he showed 
us during our sojourn in Constantinople. Besides 
a regular service on Sunday morning, Bible 
classes were held during the week. A school 
is established under the direction of Wiesen- 
bruch from Elberfeld, and Neuhaus from 
Warsaw, which is attended by about fifty 
Jewish children. The poor proselytes have an 
opportunity given them of gaining their living 
by means of the Artificers' Institute. Dr. 
Leutner, who was converted through the instru- 



THE MISSIONS AT CONSTANTINOPLE. 383 



mentality of Schauffler, has the direction of a 
chemist's shop of considerable size ; great 
numbers of Spanish and German Jews seek 
medical assistance from him, and many haye at 
the same time received spiritual help. 

Schauffler also directed his attention to the 
Protestants in the town, and was the first who 
gathered a small German congregation, but he 
immediately retired when a preacher was 
appointed for the Prussian embassy. The 
attendants at the service considerably increased 
from this time. The more melancholy as is the 
moral and religious position of German arti- 
ficers in Constantinople, the greater is the 
necessity for religious activity among them ; 
and any instances of conversion resulting from 
such efforts would be an abundant rew r ard. The 
number of attendants at public worship soon 
amounted to more than eighty. It was per- 
formed at Pera as well as at Bujukdere during 
the summer, about fifty taking part in it at 
the former place, and thirty at the latter. Un- 
fortunately, however, the preacher to the em- 
bassy was soon obliged to leave, and his place 
still remains unoccupied. In the meantime 
Schauffler has undertaken the German service, 
with the assistance of the excellent candidate 
Konig. The members of the church are be- 
ginning to unite more closely with one another, 
and associations are now being formed for works 
of christian brotherly love. I made trial of the 
spirit that animated the church, when the privi- 
lege was allowed me of preaching ; first at our 
ambassador's, who is greatly interested in the 
advancement of the ecclesiastical affairs ; and 
afterwards at Pera ; and it was with great 



384 



ARRIVAL IN THE WEST. 



joy that I witnessed so large an evangelical 
congregation. 

If we remember, that besides the English 
worship of the Americans, the chaplain to the 
British Embassy also performs service in a fine 
chapel, we shall perceive that the Protestant 
church . occupies no mean station among the 
religious communities of Constantinople ; and 
the influence of a really faithful evangelical 
congregation may be most important in its con- 
sequences. May our German Church, and 
especially our German brethren in Constan- 
tinople be decidedly impressed with this con- 
sideration. The example of bold and faithful 
converts may also produce a most favourable 
re-actioil upon the Germans. Looking at the 
population of Constantinople - — upon the 
Christians as well as Mohammedans — and upon 
Eastern as well as Western Christians, it appears 
that the capital of the East may be with respect 
to ecclesiastical relations one of the most 
improving places of the present day. 



CHAPTER IV. 



ARRIVAL IN THE WEST. 

We remained nearly three weeks in Con- 
stantinople^ a place combining, in a peculiar 
manner, all the advantages both of the eastern 
and the western world. It was with much regret 
that we parted from our dear christian friends, 
and went on board the Tagus, a splendid 
colossal English steam-boat, the most elegant 



AKR1VAL IN THE WEST. 



385 



and commodious vessel I ever saw. We gazed 
on the minarets, the cupolas, the groves and 
the mansions of Constantinople as the setting 
sun gilded them with his declining beams. 
May a new and more brilliant era soon dawn 
on this enchanting place ! 

We left in the darkness of the night, and on 
the following morning found ourselves in the 
straits of the Dardanelles. The plains of Troy 
rose once more before us ; and, ere night closed 
in, we had again cast anchor in the well-known 
harbour of Smyrna. 

We had sufficient time to seek out our two 
American friends, Riggs and Adger, and to make 
the , acquaintance of a Dane, named Haas, who, 
impelled by missionary zeal, has relinquished 
his living at home and taken up his abode in a 
distant land ; he is unconnected with any society, 
but is supplied by friends with the necessary 
funds for the prosecution of his labours. An 
unusual example of benevolence on his own 
part and on theirs. Finding many difficulties 
among the Greeks, he has turned to the Jews, 
and has been allowed, by the Greek and 
Armenian governors, the use of a room in the 
town hospital, in which he administers relief 
to the maladies both of mind and body. Mission- 
aries from the London Jews' Society, are still 
employed at Smyrna, but their absence pre- 
vented us from making their acquaintance, 
Haas conducts alternately with them a service 
for the German Protestants, who, here, as at 
Cairo, Alexandria, and all other places of 
importance in the east, with the exception of 
Jerusalem and Constantinople, still remain 
unnoticed by the church at home. 



386 



ARRIVAL IN THE WEST. 



Our magnificent Tagas quickly conducted us 
over the waters of the Archipelago. The 
beautiful sea of islands was illuminated by clear 
sunshine ; and after an unusually agreeable 
voyage, we arrived at Malta, about noon on 
the fourth day, and ran into the quarantine 
harbour at Valetta. We had returned from 
the east, to the extreme boundaries of the west, 
and the bells loudly announced it, their clear 
full tones resounding from the Roman Catholic 
churches of the town, over the harbour to our 
pleasant cabins. The excellent arrangements 
of the quarantine caused the eight days of quiet 
retrospective thought to pass almost too quickly. 
We then visited the beautiful cathedral, con- 
secrated to J ohn, in which are placed the arms 
and marble tombstones of the knights of Malta, 
or of St. John, first transferred from Jerusalem 
to Rhodes, and afterwards to this place. We 
then saw the cathedral of the English bishop, 
from which the light of the gospel is to shine 
upon the Roman Catholic population ; and 
visited Civita Vecchia, where the apostle Paul 
was received by Publius, the chief man of 
the island. 

We again embarked, towards evening, on 
the fifth of September, and on the following 
morning perceived the beautiful coast of Sicily. 
We wandered among the ruins of ancient 
Syracuse. By Catania's black lava-streams, 
at the foot of Etna, the heavens became obscured 
with clouds, and a violent storm approached, 
awakening in our minds a longing for the blue 
skies of Eastern Lands. In the lovely harbour 
of Messina we lingered one happy day ; and then 
proceeding on our voyage soon reached the 



ARRIVAL IN THE WEST. 387 



beautiful bay of Naples ; from which we saw the 
pillar of smoke rising high above the summit 
of Vesuvius. The town was in joyous agitation, 
for the brilliant fetes of the Romish church, 
celebrated with all the display of worldly splen- 
dour, were rapidly following one another. The 
literati of Italy were collected at their annual 
assembly, and many men of consideration from 
our father-land had repaired to the south to 
meet them. A multitude of new interests 
presented themselves before our minds. Be- 
neath the lava streams at Herculaneum and 
Pompeii, we found preserved the dwellings 
of the past. They involuntarily reminded us 
of the small eastern houses ; and the courts, 
with their pillared passages, carried our thoughts 
back to Damascus. Overpowered by the 
multitude of objects presented to us by nature 
and art, by the past and the present, we 
rejoiced to find, once more, a calm retreat in 
a German parsonage, with Remy, the preacher 
to the embassy; who, with self-sacrificing love, 
devotes himself to the care of his church. 
A well-conducted school, and a good hospital 
testify to the zeal of the congregation, and the 
benevolent sympathy of the German father-land. 

We soon stood upon the hills of Rome. 
Twice mistress of the world, she boasts of 
monuments with which all the nations of the 
earth have adorned her ; and more than three 
thousand years here tell their tale to the present 
race. Nature has bestowed enchanting beauty 
on the hills and valleys, and art has assembled 
all her finest works. While the faithful com- 
panions of my pilgrimage hastened before me 
to the land of our fathers, I lingered here,review- 

2 c 



388 ARRIVAL m THE WEST. 



ing our journey's course, The kind reception 
of the Councillor of Legation, Baron Von 
Canitz, the large circle of German families, and 
above all, the improving and elevating com- 
munion I enjoyed with Thiele, the preacher to 
the embassy, whose name is already praised in 
our own land, soon made me feel at home upon 
the hill of the CapitoL The evangelical chapel 
was a place of rich refreshing, and during the 
winter season more than eighty hearers are 
often present. The large hospital is in the 
immediate neighbourhood, and a deacon for 
the care of the poor had just arrived there 
from the Rhine. 

When wandering from the Capitol to the 
ruins of ancient Rome, or witnessing the gor- 
geous services in the churches of modern Rome, 
I thought of the East, and of its history, and 
collected the remembrances which these sheets 
contain. In this manner, time rolled on, and 
the Easter festival approached. In St. Peter's, 
the cathedral of the world, the highest degree 
of worldly splendour surrounded the Prince of 
the Church, who calls himself Christ's vice- 
gerent ;' and the Papacy appeared in all its 
brilliancy. But the countenances of the people, 
and the species of sympathy exhibited by them, 
pronounced judgment upon the ceremony, and 
upon the church. What feelings did the Easter 
festival at Rome excite in me, after the Easter 
festival at Jerusalem ! 

I cannot individually go over all that I then 
heard and saw. I must only say that I never 
before thanked the Lord so fervently for the 
treasure he has granted to our church in the 
doctrine of justification by faith alone. Urgent 



ARRIVAL m THE WEST. 



389 



claims attracted me homewards, and I could 
only remain a few days in the charming city 
of Florence. There are evidences of much 
vitality in the French reformed church, under 
the zealous preacher Droin ; and the Germans 
are beginning to assemble in larger numbers. 
Through Leghorn and Genoa, I hastened to 
Marseilles, Lyons, and Geneva, where my heart 
was deeply affected by the awakening in the 
French Protestant church, and the spirit of love 
uniting the christian, brethren. In Basle, I 
first heard, once more, the dear German mother- 
tongue spoken among the people ; and after 
the experiences of my journey, lingered with 
increased joy in the blessed mission-house. 
But the nearer the goal, the more hurried did 
my course become. 

I had gazed upon the theatre of the history 
of God's kingdom during three thousand years. 
In Egypt, the land of bondage, the chosen 
people passed their childhood. At Sinai they 
entered into a covenant with the Lord. After 
the march through the wilderness, Israel took 
possession of the Land of Promise. David 
had his throne in Hebron till he removed to 
Zion, and prepared a place for Solomon, the 
Prince of Peace. Jerusalem continued to be 
the centre of the Lord's kingdom till the true 
Solomon came and established peace with God. 
His word was proclaimed in Judea and in Galilee. 
In Damascus, Paul was converted into a chosen 
vessel ; and upon Patmos, John's eagle eye 
penetrated the distant future. Thus we had 
followed the course of history. In Smyrna, 
and in the towns of Lesser Asia, the first 
apostolic churches, with their bloody warfare, 

2 c 2 



39Q ARRIVAL IN THE WEST. 



had appeared before our minds ; while Con- 
stantinople reminded us of Constantine's great 
deeds, and of the successive councils that had 
there united for several centuries the represen- 
tatives of the christian church. We had scarcely 
arrived at Malta, when the bells announced the 
Augustine festival ; for, as the father of the 
Western Church, he had laboured not far 
from thence upon the coast of Africa. Rome 
opened up to us a glimpse of the middle ages. 
Through the Waldensean valleys, and the south 
of France, I had' returned to Germany, and 
the tower of the castle church at Wittehberg, 
marked the last era of importance in the history 
of the kingdom of God. 

When, returned from our untroubled pil- 
grimage, the deep bell of our cathedral called 
us, on Ascension-day, to the house of God, 
I again occupied our beloved pulpit ; and was 
permitted to bring to the Lord an offering of 
gratitude ; and to acknowledge, " I am not 
worthy of the least of all the mercies, and of 
all the truth which thou hast showed unto thy 
servant." 

As a year before, I had looked from the 
Ascension Mountain upon the hills of the 
earthly Jerusalem, so now, with the dear con- 
gregation, I directed my gaze towards the 
goal of our pilgrimage — the Heavenly Zion. 
And the words of the Lord seemed to echo in 
our ears, " Pray for the peace of Jerusalem." 



THE END. 



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